wow, what beautiful weather this May! Just some random notes on the
critters living on or near my little acre near The Evergreen State
College.

I have seen only one flock of Evening Grosbeaks at my feeder this
spring, although I have heard them fly over many times. I do have quite
a few Band-tailed Pigeons though, in case anyone wants to trade seed
gluttons.

Heard my first-of-year Olive-sided Flycatcher this morning. I usually
only hear them sing a very few times each spring. No Willow Flycatchers
yet.

Swainson's Thrushes have been chattering (or "rough, nasal braying" as
Sibley puts it) quite a bit in the evenings--perhaps one will break into
song tonight. Anyone know what the significance of the chatter vs. the
full song is; i.e., why do they only chatter when they first arrive?

I have about four Douglas squirrels that are regular visitors to my
front porch where I have been feeding them seed the past four years
(yes, it gets quite noisy when they cross paths). One of the females
must have given birth only in the last week or so, as indicated by her
nipples being newly visible due to nursing young (is this phenology
porn?). In 2007 and 2008 a female nested in a willow snag in my pasture
and I saw four young playing outside the nest as early as 7 June; I am
certain this same female (recognizable by her somewhat shortened tail)
had two litters last year. Unfortunately their snag fell down last fall;
I put up a woodpecker box in the large adjacent maple, but I've been
avoiding checking it so as not to disturb them too early in the game.
Has anyone had them nest under their house? I have seen a younger female
going under the house either to a cache or nest. This little lady, who
I'm sure grew up right here, has twice taken nuts from my open palm this
spring. I was prepared to be bitten, but held my hand steady and let her
test my fingers half a dozen times in between taking nuts. She never bit
down, just gently put her teeth on them and then decided she'd rather
have a nut. It was a very special day when she felt brave enough to put
her little paw on my hand. I can't wait until the wacky bobble-headed
youngsters find their way to the porch.

Here are two YOY at the porch feeder last July:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMloGS58EOg
and an early attempt to feed one, in which I flinch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sqsr_D7LbU

I was also able to get a male Red-breasted Nuthatch to take a sunflower
seed from my palm. I've always wanted to do that with a chickadee, but
the nuthatches seem to be the most fearless birds in my yard.

The deer feed themselves--a quite pregnant doe was in the yard today, I
believe with her yearling fawn from last summer(?).

Saw my very first opossum here last week, checking out some seed scatter
in the night. I was quite surprised I hadn't seen them in the first four
years I lived here.

Angela Percival
Green Cove Creek watershed, Olympia, WA
angela at stillwatersci dotcom