>>From Russell Rogers, Seattle WA, rrogers at halcyon.com
>
>While doing wetlands surveys this AM I counted about 100 or so Pine
>Siskins. Numbers this fall seem to be up from last year, actually they
>seem about the same as the fall of 1992. Has anyone else noticed greater
>numbers of Siskins this fall?
>
>Russell Rogers

Yes, large numbers almost everywhere I go, in big flocks in red alder trees
as usual and some coming to feeders. Someone needs to look into the annual
production of red alders to see if there is any correlation with siskin
numbers (however, siskins are on a 2-year cycle elsewhere in North America
where red alders don't occur).

As I wrote before, there are a lot of finches around. I'm hearing Evening
Grosbeaks everywhere and lots of goldfinches. I've never been so conscious
of diurnal migration of Cedar Waxwings and robins as this fall, either.
Also--for better or worse--huge flocks of starlings have just started
forming in the last week or so in areas through which I drive every day. I
think we've just made the transition from summer to winter.


Dennis Paulson phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound email: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416