>Hello Everyone,
>
>I was home at lunchtime today watching the Chickadees, Juncos, Nuthatches and
>occasional Bewicks Wren visit my feeders when a male Townsend Warbler appeared
>on the branch of a spruce tree 20 feet away. I grabbed my binoculars and then
>followed the bird as it fluttered to closer cyprus tree. I watched it sit for
>about 30 seconds before it flew away. I had never seen this warbler in my yard
>before. Is this common? I live in the Enatai neighborhood of Bellevue.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Jack

Jack, Townsend's Warblers winter in small numbers throughout the lowlands
of western Washington (and south into Guatemala and even Costa Rica). They
are probably fairly widely distributed, although abundant nowhere. Once I
had 10 of them pass my window here on the UPS campus in a feeding flock of
Golden-crowned Kinglets, the only time I ever saw such a concentration.
Just the other day one appeared in my yard in Seattle, the first I've ever
seen there except in migration. They are often attracted to a fountain
with running water. It's always a thrill to see that flash of bright
yellow with the other, more somber, birds.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone 206-756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 206-756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416
web site: http://www.ups.edu/biology/museum/museum.html