We just saw our first Ruby-crowned kinglet of the season yesterday, in one of
those delightful feeding and bathing flocks we can observe from the house.
Included were the usual black-capped and chestnut-backed chickadees, our
first Yellow-rumped warbler for months, a Golden-crowned kinglet, and
Hutton's vireos. A Junco appeared, as well. Our resident Red-breasted
nuthatches zoomed in and out and around the visitors.

During the summer we'd had Towhees and Song sparrows nesting around us that
vanished after the young were fledged, but now we have Towhees and Song
sparrows again. Any guess whether they're the same ones back from a vacation
or do they migrate, too?

A couple of days ago we had Townsend's warblers, but we've lost our resident
Wilson's and Black-throated grays. Without our being conscious of exactly
when the change occured, the thrushes that bathe in poor light at dawn and
dusk have changed from our summer-resident Swainson's to Hermits. We even saw
a Turkey vulture near Purdy yesterday. (I did relay the sighting info.
privately.) It really is fall.

Kit Ellis
Gig Harbor, WA