Subject: passerines passing thru
Date: Aug 17 18:10:52 2004
From: Paul Hicks - PHicks at accessgrace.org


Tweets,

Nothing earthshattering, but a new fall migration experience for me this morning. Six (at least) WESTERN TANAGERS stopped by to bulk up for an hour in my Tenino residential yard--gorgeous sight! Joined by EVENING & BLACK-H GROSBEAKS, RED-BR SAPSUCKER, BLACK-C CHICKADEES, and a new yard bird, WILLOW FLYCATCHER. Plus the normal starlings and robins.

Monday I encountered a couple sizeable mixed "flocks" en route to a 60-plus-inland-bird morning: BLACK-TH GRAY, WILSON'S & ORANGE-CR WARBLERS, HUTTON'S & WARBLING VIREOS, BLACK-C & CHESTNUT-B CHICKADEES, C BUSHTITS, W. TANAGERS, BLACK-H GROSBEAKS, plus several good-size flocks of EVENING GROSBEAKS around. I also believe I heard a BULLOCK'S ORIOLE (not associated with the above), a fall first for me.

Nesting season doesn't seem totally finished. Some of the Wilson's Warblers the last couple weeks seem to be "undispersed" if not still somewhat territorial in their family groups. Add a singing YELLOW WARBLER, a "singing" WW PEWEE, and a Barn Swallow pair apparently still with nestlings judging from the ruckus my presence created. And I found a tiny pre-fledgling (waxwing??) this week that apparently fell out of its nest.

Great fun!

Good birding!

Paul Hicks
Tenino WA
phicks AT accessgrace.org