I've also taken notice of the sounds of Evening Grosbeaks in so many places this spring. In the recent Audubon analysis of Breeding Bird Surveys and Christmas Bird Counts, the Evening Grosbeak was the #2 most severely declining bird (78% decline).

Maybe they're coming back. Maybe some dynamics of shifting distribution makes it seem like numbers have dramatically increased. At Pierce County BioBlitz last weekend, I listened intently as Eric LaGasa described some of the unusual things he's observed this spring, including flowering by virtually 100% of Bigleaf maples this year, something that is extremely unusual. It makes me think of the problems with large numbers of finches (mostly pine siskins and red crossbills) on a number of Washington highways the winter before last, a phenonmenon that didn't repeat itself this past winter (thnkfully). It was as if something, likely an unusually good cone crop, attracted larger than usual numbers of seed-eaters to our more extensively forested regions. Remember, the white-winged crossbill numbers at the same time, at Steven's Pass and elsewhere?

Anyway, for the grosbeaks, welcome back.

Kelly McAllister
Olympia, Washington
----- Original Message -----
From: wheelermombi at comcast.net
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Friday, May 22, 2009 1:58 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] evening grosbeaks



Hi Tweeters,



We've also been getting Evening Grosbeaks at my house, which is located on the Griffin Peninsula in Thurston County. There has been a small flock visiting my neighbor's feeder now for about 10 days. It is the first time in the 5 years that I've been keeping track that they have been a yardbird for me.



Lonnie Somer

Olympia, WA

wheelermombi at comcast.net



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