Habitat is key to the distribution and abundance of just about all land birds.

Your observations on wintering TOWNSENDS largely concur with mine. I most often find them in mixed species flocks with chickadees and kinglets. They seem to me to be most numerous in conifer or mixed conifer-deciduous forest within a few miles of saltwater. They also occur in other habitats in smaller numbers, e.g. further from saltwater or in heavily urbanized areas if there are at least a few trees about.

My impression is that TOWNSENDS has increased as a wintering species since the 1970's. CBC counts are definitely up, I've run the numbers. This could be in part due to better birding skills evolving over time - you can find this bird by its call in the winter but how many people were there doing that 20 years ago? Anyone else want to comment on wintering numbers of Townsend's over the last 30 years.

In my experience, AUDUBONS occurs in relatively open habitats in the winter, typically deciduous dominated woodlands where trees are in patches or strips or not too dense, often in a mosaic with tall deciduous shrubs. These are often agricultural landscapes or former agricultural landscapes (now refuges) in valley bottom areas. They too occur in urban areas with scattered deciduous trees. Between the state capital and downtown Olympia is not a bad spot for both AUDUBONS and TOWNSENDS, though far from ideal for either.

Chris Chappell
Olympia
cchappell at thurston.com
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