** Jerry T. wrote -

> Are White-throated Sparrow reports increasing in number? Seems to be
> this used to be a very rare bird in Washington, but we're now getting
> reports from just about everywhere throughout the state--not in
> numbers but recently many reports have included White-throated Sparrows.

Over the past 30 years, White-throats have spread westward across the Rockies
from Northeast BC into the central interior of BC. They are now found regularly
in summer as far west as Smithers in the eastern foothills of the Coast Range
and southeast in an arc to about Quesnel and Valemount. I am certain that the
increase in WA & BC sightings of this species is directly attributable to some
of this population migrating southward during the fall to the warm coast and
staying there for the winter.

- Jack


Jack Bowling
Prince George, BC
jbowling at direct.ca