Hello, tweets.

Just to add to all the Hermit Thrush records, I have had one in my
yard for the last two days. Spotted thrushes aren't the most obvious
of all birds, so I am always confident that more of them might be in
my yard than I see (not to mention that I spend a rather small
percentage of my time observing birds in the yard).

Nevertheless, I have seen this species again and again, as follows:

20 Apr-3 May, 20 Sep 96
18-20 Apr, 27 Nov 97
19 Apr 98
7-8 May, 19-20 May 99
24 Apr, 20 Sep 00
5 May 01
27 Apr-11 May, 18 Oct (2) 02
31 Dec 03
11 Apr, 9-11 Oct, 13 Nov 04
23 Apr, 17 Nov 05
5 May, 1 Oct, 1 Nov 06
22 Sep 07
27-28 Apr 08

This is a substantial range of dates, from 11 Apr-10 May in spring
and 20 Sep-17 Nov in fall, plus one midwinter observation (yet on
only one day, so presumably passing through). By contrast, although
Swainson's Thrush is surely as common in western WA, I have seen that
species many fewer times:

18 May 96
14 May, 22 May, 6 Sep 97
23 Aug, 26 Sep 98
16 May 99
13 May, 21 Jul 01
16 May 03

and not since then, but I have been out of state in mid May during
several recent years.

Swainson's is later in spring, earlier in fall than Hermit, even
though both species breed in the Alaska lowlands to the north of
here. This difference may be in part because Hermits winter much
farther north than Swainson's. I have seen several reports of
Swainson's on tweeters this April, and I hope observers are aware of
the improbability of the occurrence of that species in Washington in
April.

An even more interesting bird in the yard yesterday (27 Apr) was a
MATURE MALE RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, the first mature male I have seen in
the yard in 16 years of observations. We see Rufous every spring/
summer/fall, but always in the past females and/or immatures. Was
this bird a late migrant on its way to Alaska?
-----
Dennis Paulson
1724 NE 98 St.
Seattle, WA 98115
206-528-1382
dennispaulson at comcast.net



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