It's spring in north Everett and as I go listening out the back door and about the neighborhood there is a strange void in the spring airwaves- the near absence of singing House Finches. Typically from mild winter days all through spring the hood is full of loudly singing Finches , blaring forth on every block. This is especially noticeable in my neighborhood since it's not exactly good land bird habitat. Sad to say but there are but few species of singing resident/breeding land birds in this neighborhood typically - Robins, House Finches, the occasional Bewicks Wren or Song Sparrow ect. So the absence of singing Finches really stands out. There's not a total absence, just very few. The same around The Anchor Pub where I spend a lot of time (own it) a few miles south.

On the other hand we've got one singing bird in the back alley that's been steadily at it for 3 weeks or so - a Dark-eyed Junco. We've been in our house here for nine years and for most of that time rarely saw Junco's even in winter. But several years ago more started showing up and two years ago or so were probably breeding as there were singing males, and birds about in the summer. You have to be a pretty sneaky ground-nester to make it in this lawn infested neighborhood.


Jeff Gibson, Everett Wa