Scott Ray <scray at WOLFE.net> wrote,

>The Tweeter's Okanogan trip last weekend found 3 Townsend's Solitaires
>(6200ft elev). This seems like a late date (10/1) for such elevation to
me.
>
>When do they normally move out of the mountains?

Townsend's Solitaires seem to be quite common at hawk watch sites in the
fall. They seem to be following the ridge-tops south along with the
Mountain Bluebirds.

But to answer your question, October 1 doesn't seem late at all. Ross
Miller and I were up there (Tiffany Mtn.) the Saturday before and also
found several Solitaires. (Unfortunately, we didn't find the Boreal
Chickadees I had promised Ross as almost certain. Got fantastic looks at
Three-toed Woodpeckers).

Cold doesn't bother the solitaires. We often find solitaires on the
Wenatchee CBC, and they are common in winter farther south on the high
desert of eastern Oregon and northern California.

Jerry Tangren