Greetings All

I could write about this forever. But I will restrain myself.

Within state, over the last decade, W Scrub J, Bewick's Wren, Anna's Humm have shown a steady range expansion. Great Egret numbers have increased, but mostly as non-breeders. Lesser Goldfinch numbers have increased, but their range hasn't yet.

I have to differ with Dennis. The increase in Least Fly numbers has definitely been part of a much larger range expansion that now has them breeding all the way down to n. California. The next issue of Western Birds shall have an article on this topic by yours truly :o)

Red-shouldered Hawks and White-tailed Kites have increased over the last decaded, as scarce (and mostly) non-breeders. The RSHA is really increasing rapidly in OR, so I expect to see a boom here. Same for Black Phoebe.

WF Ibis numbers have exploded. Bill Tweit and Bob Flores wrote an article on this that I think was in the last Washington Birds. If not, it'll be in the next one. These are mostly wanderers.

Of course Tricolored BB is a recent addition to our avifauna and BH Cowbird numbers, especially during winter, have vastly increased.

The real big increase has been in wintering birds. Some of this is due to increased observers, but much I think is real. Ten years ago in WA/OR Wilson's Warbler, Lesser Yellowlegs, Sora, Western Tanager, Pacific Golden-Plover, Williamson's Sapsucker, and others would have been very rare to mind-blowing. Now they've almost become "that's nice" birds. On the eastside, a whole suite of shorebirds are found annually during winter when they formerly where not, or were less numerous: LB Dow, Greater Yell, Least Sand, Dunlin are the main ones.

The other story is marsh/eastside birds expanding to the west. BN Stilt, Wilson's Phal, Black Tern, Am White Pelican, Gadwall, Lesser Scaup... these are all birds that have greatly increased in numbers or as breeders on the westside. It wasn't many years ago that breeding Gadwall in the Puget Sound were considered a big deal. Just in the last couple years LESC nested for the first time in Pacific and Clark Counties. BN Stilt numbers are up statewide.

Cackling Geese were unheard of as winterers in the state until about 15-20 years ago.
Wintering Trumpeter Swan numbers have exploded compared to 20-30 years ago.
Same with Greater Scaup wintering on the Columbia River, especially east of the Cascades. I've estimated that FIVE PERCENT OF THE NORTH AMERICAN POPULATION winters on the Columbia River in WA/OR. 20 or so years ago, a flock of 150 in e. WA warranted mention in North American Birds, now flocks of 2000+ are found annually.
Snow Geese, after dropping dramatically in numbers, have greatly increased over the last 15 years, albeit locally.

Anyway, enough for now.

Good Luck and Good Birding
Steven Mlodinow