Whispers in the wind, movement from the south…..
People of the Yukon cracking open front doors
Furtive glances left and right
Looking for breezes above zero
Perhaps a lime green blade of grass
Jacket instead of parka?
Bang, they’ve arrived
Feathers and wings, beaks and bills
Skipping hopping, a chirp a song
The birds are here

Birds have drawn me by their beauty and inaccessibility since childhood. I have a vivid memory of finding a dead blue jay a few blocks from home and carefully holding it by its feet to take the prize home to my parents.

Rapidly rising membership in the Yukon Bird Club demonstrates we are nothing short of joyful at the arrival of flocks from the south. I find inspiration in the vibrant blue bill of the ruddy duck at the Yukon Game Farm as well as the determined circles the phalarope swims looking for food. I feel that our Whitehorse’s emergence from winter confinement parallels the seasonal migration of birds.

From the self-indulgent oyster catcher on the coast to the supermodel swans parading our lakes to the loyal raven trickster, we, as Yukoners, value and are inspired by our birds.