Subject: Three Zono Choir near Tenino
Date: Apr 12 11:49:20 2004
From: Robert Sundstrom - ixoreus at scattercreek.com


Tweeters,

It was a wonderful surprise to hear a White-throated Sparrow begin singing
in the yard this weekend, amid the steady refrains from pugetensis
White-crowns and now very spiffy-looking wintering Golden-crowns. It's now
safe to conclude that the White-throated Sparrow that's been more or less
regular in the yard since November is a guy. I caught a bit of it with the
microphone. Other sparrows singing nearby: several Savannah Sparrows in the
back pasture, Song Sparrows, Spotted Towhees, Dark-eyed Juncoes, and
Chipping Sparrow about half a mile up the road. Singing warblers heard in
recent days today include Orange-crowned, Townsend's, and Common
Yellowthroat. Mourning Dove songs are heard throughout the day, as are
Purple Finches, and American Goldfinches have just returned to the feeders
and at least one male is singing.

It looks like it will be full occupancy in the swallow boxes, three boxes
closely guarded by Violet-greens and four by Trees. Black-capped Chickadees
were carrying bill-fuls of moss into a 1&1/8" box hole today, and a pair of
Bushtits appears to be nest-building inside a Black Hawthorn. A pair of
Red-tails have been at their traditional nest in tall Douglas-fir for about
a month, and the kingfisher pair is back at the Mull St. crossing of Scatter
Creek. Rufous Hummingbirds have been back for month, with lots of display
dives and shuttle displays going on. Western Scrub-Jays have wiped out
several Killdeer clutches, and the plovers appear to have finally abandoned
the gravel paths in the front garden as a nest site.

Good Birding, Bob


Bob Sundstrom
ixoreus at scattercreek.com
Tenino, WA