10/23/01, Seattle, WA

Just had a female-plumaged (probably immature) BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK come to
our fountain briefly, for quite a late record. My previous latest record in
our yard was 3 September. The yard was virtually empty of birds much of the
day, then they started coming in a little while ago and finally came in a
deluge. I've seen that over and over again, no birds for lengthy periods,
then 5-10 or even more species present at once. My speculation is that
there are enough predators around (especially Sharp-shinned Hawks) that the
birds are often on edge and retiring, and when they see other birds out in
the open, it stimulates them to do the same (builds self-confidence).

So within a few minutes, there were in the yard 1 Rock Dove, 3 No. Flickers,
4 Steller's Jays, 5 Black-capped Chickadees, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 10
American Robins, 1 Black-headed Grosbeak, 1 Spotted Towhee, 1 Dark-eyed
Junco, 6 House Finches, and 10 House Sparrows. Not exactly tropical rain
forest diversity, but a major contrast with how it's been much of the day.
The robins and finches were feeding on a ?otoneaster covered with fruits and
produced a lot of the activity (along with several gray squirrels). Even
now as I type this, most of the birds have departed. Wouldn't you know the
only thing I see out there right now is a pigeon!

Earlier today I saw my first "Slate-colored" Dark-eyed Junco for the fall.
There are only a few "Oregon" juncos in the yard so far this year, perhaps
because we were gone during the period that they often arrive in the fall,
and there was no rich source of food in our yard when the migrants came in.

Two evenings ago, just before dark, a male Varied Thrush came in and took a
lengthy bath in the fountain. That's certainly one of the most striking
birds of the Northwest, and I think it would be considered special in any
avifauna.

Dennis Paulson
--
Netta Smith and Dennis Paulson
1724 NE 98 St.
Seattle, WA 98115