It was a tough year for ground nesters with a pair of crows, a skunk & stray cat in residence, and Steller's Jays visiting daily. A resident pair of SONG SPARROWS lost their first nestlings to predation, lost a second nest, then produced & fledged a pair of Song Sparrows and a pair of COWBIRDS on 6/29 from a nest that I had located and fenced off. I inadvertently gathered up a fourth nest while tearing up morning glory, but they were rebuilding on 7/27. The resident RUFOUS-SIDED TOWHEE pair lost their first nest & eggs, the next set of nestlings were taken on 5/11, they fledged a pair of young and were chasing them off by 6/30, and feeding more nestlings by 7/9. They seem to have fledged two from the last nest. The resident DARK-EYED JUNCO pair probably failed in their first attempt, but I located their second set of nestlings, fenced it off and they fledged young on 5/25. By 7/18, they were feeding another set of Junco and COWBIRD fledglings. Last year there were three pair of KILLDEER who raised five or more clutches successfully, but this year only one pair nested in the yard and were unsuccessful with their first attempt. They were mating again on 6/1 but I did not monitor them to see if that nest succeeded. One pair that nested next door brought their four young into the yard.

One pair of AMERICAN ROBINS built a nest on a swallow box on the house and fledged one bird on 4/28, two more at the end of May, but a third clutch of two eggs in the same nest failed to hatch. A new nest was built on another swallow box, but two eggs failed to hatch. Another pair had built a nest in a basket under the house eaves but the female disappeared and it was abandoned. Another pair nested low in a spruce and the eggs were taken and the nest dislodged, but at least two pair of robins produced fledglings this year in the yard.

The resident BEWICK'S WREN pair built a nest in a swallow box on the house and fledged three young on 5/22. They nested in a second swallow box on the house and fledged two young on 6/24. A third nest in a precariously mounted basket on the front porch was abandoned when a cowbird knocked it down. They renested in the second swallow box and fledged two young on 7/23. After the young have left the natal nest, the parents put the fledglings to bed at night in one of several baskets that hang on the house.

A pair of AMERICAN CROWS nested in the top of a large pine and were feeding nestlings for over a week when the they abandoned it and built a new nest in a neighbor's tree where they fledged one youngster in late June.

The resident BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE pair produced fledglings on 6/15 and it sounded as if they may have been feeding fledglings this past week, but no feeding was witnessed.

A pair of TREE SWALLOWS fledged two sets of young by the end of July. VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS nested in at least eight boxes, most producing two sets of fledglings with one box still containing nestlings on 8/5. BARN SWALLOWS have produced fledglings from nine nests and are still feeding young nestlings as of 8/6.

Two pair of STARLINGS fledged young by 5/15. I removed a HOUSE SPARROW nest with 5 eggs from a swallow box on 5/4 and do not know if they renested elsewhere.

A pair of VAUX'S SWIFTS nested in the chimney for the fifth year and are feeding nestlings as of 8/6. A pair from a neighbor's house fledged young on 7/31.

I've never found a RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD nest in the yard nor seen a female feeding young, but I found a newly fledged youngster in a blooming Oregon Grape bush on 4/22 & 4/23. Several more fledglings appeared since then and continue on in the yard. I suspect a pair of MOURNING DOVES nested in a large alder but can't confirm it. Two young fledged by 5/20 and there may be a second pair of young.

A flock of at least 12 mature, first year & fledgling RED CROSSBILLS were feasting on pine seeds on 4/22 & 4/25. A pair returned feeding three fledglings on 5/1 and three juveniles were seen on 5/19.

PINE SISKINS were feeding fledglings on 5/17 and probably had a second set by 7/4. A PURPLE FINCH was feeding a fledgling on 6/14. HOUSE FINCHES were observed feeding fledglings from 5/18 through 8/6 and there are about 20 juveniles visiting the yard. AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES have been feeding fledglings from 7/3 through 8/6.

A RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH pair were feeding 4 fledglings in the yard by 5/22 and were feeding a single fledgling on 7/11.

A seemingly dark-eyed possible juvenile PILEATED WOODPECKER was working on an old stump in the yard on 6/1. A male DOWNY WOODPECKER was feeding fledglings by 6/23. A pair of RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKERS drummed around the yard daily from 4/9-5/31, and 2 young have been in the yard since 7/6. A NORTHERN FLICKER was feeding a single fledgling on 7/27, down from four last year.

STELLER'S JAYS were feeding fledglings by 6/12. A colony of BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS nested next door last year and about 1/2 mile away this year, but they still fed fledglings in the yard this year from 5/29 through 6/12. A male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD was seen feeding a fledgling on 6/13.

At least three pair of BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS have been seen feeding fledglings from 6/30 through 8/5.

BUSHTITS were feeding a probable second set of fledglings on 7/16. CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES also brought their youngsters to the yard.

A WESTERN TANAGER was seen feeding one tanager and one COWBIRD fledgling on 7/17. CEDAR WAXWINGS started feeding fledglings in the yard on 7/18.

A COMMON YELLOWTHROAT attempted to claim a new territory next door after his nearby hay field was cut. He was singing & busily driving off the finches & swallows from my fence line on 7/3. The next day he discovered the overgrown brushy pasture was a sometime motocross course and apparently moved on.

I got serious on 8/3 about finding the elusive source of an unfamiliar call heard from time to time around the yard. On 8/4, I realized the calls were emanating from several NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS. I was able to observe mid-air feeding of fledglings and was surprised to see them roost in the top of one of my large oak trees that night.

As of 8/6, 15 species were known to have nested in the yard. 26 species were observed feeding fledglings in the yard and juveniles of 8 or 9 species were present but not observed being fed. My yard is five acres of pasture and trees with a house & barn on the Enumclaw Plateau.

Sandy Daniels
Enumclaw Plateau
Ladyhawk707 AT msn DOT com