Tweeters:

While we're on the theme of decline in W. Grebe, I must say I've often
wondered about Horned Grebe. At least out at Graysmarsh near Sequim,
wintering numbers have declined dramatically from 20 years ago, when on some
of the CBCs we'd have over a 100 for the day. Since about 1990 we've
normally been at much less than half of that, and sometimes--as this
year--the species was missed altogether...

All that said, it could be (as with other species) that the warming trend
has parked the birds further north for winter, and I have not heard anyone
else noting Horned Grebe numbers being down.

Side note--since the snow fell we've had a Slate-colored Junco and a Fox
Sparrow up in n. Lake Stevens at the feeder, both are pretty scarce but
annual here in winter.

Scott Atkinson
Lake Stevens
mail to: scottratkinson at hotmail.com