iN VIDEO: Noisy nutcrackers break silence in Penticton backyard oasis

Penticton couple Jacqueline and Randy McDonald identify and document the numerous species of birds that stop at their backyard oasis throughout the year, and it is a long list.

The couple lives on a busy main street but the maple trees, shrubs and wild plants in their yard, along with three bird bathes, create a protective paradise for birds.  

“We’ve been in the house for 32 years and in the past eight years have been attracting specific birds with different feed, it has been a lot of fun,” Jacqueline said.

“We have a beautiful maple tree with lots of shade and cover they love and shrubs on the wall they dive into when they hear a hawk.”

Last week, the couple had a visit from two Clark’s nutcrackers that are very noisy birds.

“They are the nosiest, they make a real racket and I keep expecting the neighbours to complain,” Jacqueline said. “They were here non-stop a year ago, we were feeding them peanuts. The neighbours were finding peanut shells everywhere so we stopped. It’s good to see them back again.

“They like being up in forested areas at higher elevations, it isn’t that common for them to be in someone’s yard.” 

To date the couple has spotted and identified upwards of 50 bird species, some that stay all winter and others that migrate through, and some that only stop briefly to have a bath in their peaceful, private yard.

“Sometimes we hear calls from birds we haven’t seen yet, but we never write an observation down unless we actually see them,” Jacqueline said.

“It’s amazing to just observe right in our yard, it has been really neat.”

If you have neat videos to share of what’s happening in your neighbourhood, send them to news@infonews.ca