Subject: Magical migration
Date: Aug 24 23:40:48 1998
From: MurrayH at aol.com - MurrayH at aol.com


With all of the extraordinarily hot weather we've had in the last month, it
has been no wonder to us that our resident birds have visited the small re-
cycling pond we have here. BUT yesterday, the 23rd, was truly amazing: not
only the chickadees, nuthatch, junco, towhees, White-crowned and Song
Sparrows but also young Western Tanagers and Chipping Sparrow. In addition,
in the space of a few seconds, a Hutton's and a Warbling Vireo appeared and
not much later three warblers appeared: Orange-crowned, Wilson's and
Townsend's. The latter birds seemed very skittish except for the Orange-
crowned which , we think, had already claimed the pond as its own--very
territorial. The Warbling Vireo was, at first, very wary but eventually sat
quite still, fluffing its feathers and preening. The most unexpected sighting
was a small flock of Golden-crowned Kinglets which "hovered" over the water as
if they didn't want to "get their feet wet." The last sighting, as we were
signing off on a telephone call to another birding friend, was of a (stray?
haven't seen one for weeks!) Rufous Hummingbird investigating a Gerbera daisy
in a pot on the deck overlooking the pond!. Put out the sunflower seeds and
the suet, friends--we're going south for the winter!

Really like hearing about the shorebird migration reported on Tweeters--the
Stilt Sandpiper report was mind-boggling! Have only seen a few in my whole
life. Please keep sending in the sightings--it's still great fun for those of
us who are armchair birders! Warm regards--- Murray Hansen and
Betty Jones

Murray Hansen
MurrayH at aol.com