On Thu, 21 Sep 1995, Dennis Paulson wrote:
> Has anyone noticed that there are a lot fewer messages on tweeters lately?

OK, here's one for the fire. More Fall stuff moving around in my
neighborhood:

Tuesday: Chestnut-backed Chickadees are in the yard, in a mixed flock of
about 20 birds, with Black-capped Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch,
and a half-dozen Ruby-crowned Kinglets. They must have found a roosting
owl in the top of the Doug-fir because they were chattering and raising a
ruckus for almost a half-hour before moving on. They had a Bewick's Wren
join for awhile, and some nervous robins. I tried in vain to spot the
source of their anxiety, but they never really left the top of the tree.

Wednesday: Furthur influx of Chestnut-backed Chickadees in the yard.

Today (Thursday): A small cruise missile came flying through the yard, a
female Sharp-shinned Hawk flying at Mach 1.5 trying to scurry up some
dinner. A Red-tailed Hawk adult was soaring high overhead soon after.
The crows did not appreciate either intruder.

Although I appreciate seeing Fork-tailed Flycatchers once in a while, I
really enjoy seeing the minute changes locally due to seasons. I realize
none of the above birds will make the RBA, but the Chestnut-backeds and
the Kinglets (and the Sharpie) are certainly indicative of the coming of
winter, and I'm glad they're back.

-------------
Michael R. Smith
Univ. of Washington, Seattle
whimbrel at u.washington.edu
http://salmo.cqs.washington.edu/~wagap/mike.html