Brice Matson wrote:

>
> We were walking out the trail to see the seal and I saw a 'wild pear
> tree', which turned out to be an ordinary tree full of Evening
> Grosbeaks.
> ...
> Are these too common for others to report or what? There were a lot
> of hard-core birders at the refuge the same day (judging from
> knowledge and equipment) so are any of you on this list and did you
> see the Grosbeaks? Plus, I assume the swallows at NWR are
> year-round residents or something. Aren't swallows supposed to be
> in Mexico or something for the winter?
>

Evening Grosbeaks are funny birds. They're nomadic, especially in the
winter, so you never know where they'll turn up. During migration, in early
May especially, we can count on them to show up in numbers at our feeder,
but at other times of the year, they're harder to pin down, for me at least.
They're always a sight to see, though, and a sound to hear.

I'm interested in the swallow report. What kind, and where? It's a little
early for returning Violet-greens, I would think, so I'm assuming they
overwintered. Then again, I've seen Violet-greens in early February, and
that's almost here.

Eric Kraig
Olympia, WA
mailto:kraige at oclc.org