Hi, all:

I guess I have to seriously consider getting ready for winter. Yesterday
morning before I left for work, a small flock of mixed adult and juvenile
white-crowned sparrows showed up at the suet feeders. I usually get them
this time of year for about 2 weeks and get to watch the rust and tan crown
stripes turn to black and white. The goldfinches are going into their winter
plumage. A red-naped sapsucker was pecking on the tree around the suet block
but didn't seem to actually take a bite of it, while I was watching. A few
juncos have moved back down from the hills but we are experiencing an
"Indian summer" week with temperatures in the 80s and sunny, so most of the
birds are out stuffing themselves on insects...except for the song sparrows
and Hairy and Downy woodpeckers, who never quit munching on the suet blocks.
The towhees and black-headed grosbeak families have grown up and moved out.
Did it seem to any of you Inlanders that there were a greater-than-usual
number of towhees and song sparrows being fledged this year? I also had at
least 2 sets of fledgling black-headed grosbeaks; one with one bird and
another with three. It was the first time I have ever seen 3 juvenile
black-headed grosbeaks at the same time, screaming "feed me" - boy, what
pushy kids! I have to work on the roof this weekend so hope I get lucky and
see the "mysterious hybrid" again, although carrying a camera while working
on a steep roof does NOT seem like a good idea! Between the Olympics and
football that's probably the only time I'll be outside!

Regards, Joanne
Reardan (Spokane) WA (about 25 miles west of downtown Spokane)
mailto: jhpowell at iea.com