Folks,
Like Ruth, I have not seen any Bushtits at my top-floor condo-deck suet feeder since late winter. Within the past week, have had hoards of recently fledged Bushtits overwhelming my suet feeder. Have also had numerous Chestnut-backed and Black-capped chickadee youngsters finishing off the suet block in about 3 days! For the 3rd time in 10 years, I have American Goldfinch at the seed feeder, a single adult male. As I am on the NE edge of the dense forest of Seahurst Park, is not goldfinch habitat. Perhaps other Burien 'Tweeters' away from the forest have goldfinches more frequently. And, I have had a 2nd warbler species visit the suet block, an apparently-this-year's-hatch male Black-throated Gray Warbler. Bird visited suet over past few days, but has not stayed. For the first time ever in 40+ years of keeping bird feeders, I've had warblers this winter at the suet, 3 Townsends', 2 males/1
female, visited for most of winter months, but have not seen them since March. Will search Internet for reports of increase in warblers visiting yard feeders. This seems to be a new trend in their behavior? Current list of deck-feeder summer visitors: Song sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker (less in summer,) House Finch, possible Purple finch female, Pine Siskin (first time to have in the summer,) Steller's jay, Rufous Hummingbird (both male and female,) House Sparrow, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pileated Woodpecker (occasional,) Back-headed Grosbeak, Bushtit, American Goldfinch (first time ever for summer,) and the ubiquitous Rock Doves plus the first-time-ever Back-throated Gray Warbler.
All be well,
Maureen E Ellis, PhD (laid-off research scientist-Univ of WA)



On Tue, 14 Jul 2009, Ruth Sullivan wrote:

> Hello Tweeters.
> At exactly 9.45AM I had seven Bushtit's in my yard.This is the first I been
> seeing this birds on April 16th of this year.The birds are in a small group of
> 7 birds,presuming that this is a family,who breed close by.Also the way there
> flying who have problems going on to the Suet feeders.I usual had groups up to
> over 30 birds,coming every day and love the Suet.I also did not seeing any
> Bushtit's while birding in the field yet,
>
> Cheer Ruth Sullivan _______________________________________________
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