72 Microseasons of the Pacific Northwest

The rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) makes one of the longest migrations relative to body size of any bird in the world, and its northbound journey traces the Pacific Coast in late winter and early spring. By the last days of March, the first males — copper-orange with a brilliant iridescent gorget — are pushing into southwest Oregon, and within days reports flood in from Portland, the Willamette Valley, and the Washington coast. By early April, birds are appearing regularly at feeders and in flowering gardens from the coast all the way to the Puget Sound basin, with the advance edge already reaching Vancouver Island. Males precede females by several days, stopping to refuel at whatever early blossoms are available. Red-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) is the premier native fuel stop, its dangling pink clusters blooming in perfect synchrony with the birds' arrival. Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) provides a second nectar source at forest edges and streamsides. Watch for the male's steep, pendulum-arc display dives over territories near forest openings — the wings produce an astonishing mechanical squeal at the bottom of each arc. Feeder owners along the coast and in the Puget Sound lowlands should have sugar-water ready by late March. Prime spots to observe arrival activity include Forest Park in Portland, the Capitol Lake area in Olympia, and almost any garden on the east side of Vancouver Island. The birds do not linger; they continue pushing north toward Alaska breeding grounds, so the window for watching their southbound journey in reverse — coastal Washington and BC — is brief but exhilarating.