On Saturday I heard a hermit thrush singing in my backyard in Woodinville.
It was singing under its breath, very clearly. I tried to get a recording
of it, but the falling sleet was too loud, and the bird wasn't singing
consistently enough for me to be confident it would be around when I
returned with recording gear. I don't have hermits breeding near me; I
guess this one is passing through. A nice sound of summer, though!

Alexia Stevens

Wilderness Awareness Residential Program

alexia at wildernessawareness.org

(425) 788-1301 x50

www.WildernessAwareness.org

Wilderness Awareness School is dedicated to caring for the earth and our
children by fostering understanding and appreciation of nature, community,
and self.


-----Original Message-----
From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Tim Brennan
Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2008 3:49 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] Backyard Hermit Thrush and Harris' Sparrow (Renton)


Hey Tweets,

What a couple of days in the back yard! Yesterday morning, I heard a thrush
calling from the yard next door, but didn't get a good look at it. It was
doubling its call a lot, and my Birds of North America said that's something
a HERMIT THRUSH will do. Thought it would be nice to actually see it, which
did happen this morning when I caught a good look at it under our willow.
New yard bird!

The maturing of the dandelions in my yard would, I was sure, bring some
sparrows (they love those seeds), and, sure enough, I saw a GOLDEN-CROWNED
SPARROW hopping around with the usual suspects. Along with it, there was a
bird that I thought might be a white crowned, then maybe a house sparrow,
but it just didn't look right. Finally dug through the field guide, and the
only one I could find with a black crown and chin with that pattern was a
HARRIS' SPARROW. Still figured it might be a house sparrow in some bizarre
juvenile plumage, but I waited it out, and he came back - orange pink bill,
black crown and chin, black ear patch, white breast with some black spotting
on the flanks.

This is, of course, a new yard bird, and a life bird for me as well. Are
backyard feeders where they are found in other locales? (It wasn't at the
feeder itself, but scavenging down below, mostly following the golden-crowns
around). Have no idea what a 'normal' place is to find them.

Other birds this week - Yellow rumps, song sparrows, downy woodpecker,
red-breasted sapsucker (every morning a little before 7, hammering at this
stop sign...), both chickadees, towhee, junco, siskins, goldfinches,
bewick's wren, ruby crowned kinglets, bushtits, starlings, crows, house
finch, hummingbird (sp?), and some Canada Geese flying overhead.

I am in the Cascade Vista area of Renton, about a half mile west of Renton
Park on 125th Ave SE.

-Tim Brennan
Renton
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