Well, the window-mounted feeder I got for Christmas is finally beginning to
pay off. Today we had a mixed flock of 7 or 8 Black-capped and
Chestnut-backed Chickadees, flying in one at a time, conveyor-belt-style, and
grabbing sunflower seeds. Then, just after they left, a Golden-crowned
Sparrow (a yard-list first) flew up and started combing the porch for stray
seeds. I had never seen a Golden-crown in winter plumage before, and it
required a search in Beadle and Rising for me to ID it.

We have also had a number of Song Sparrows on the porch recently, which was
rather rare before.

Happy birding,
Nick Pharris
Olympia, WA
mailto: NJPharris at aol.com