To-day I visited my two acre restoration site, wondering if the vegetation changes might have brought in any new bird species. It used to be old growth Scots' Broom and Himalayan Blackberry with a ground cover of Quack Grass. Right now it is a mixture of young conifer, maple and alder saplings, with a lot of small native shrubs, plus another rich crop of Quack Grass!
I often wonder if conifer plantation birds like McGillivray's Warbler, Yellowthroat or White-crowned Sparrow might show up when the trees are old enough.

The most obvious difference was the 20-30 American Robins ground-feeding out in the open, with Savannah Sparrows singing instead of Song Sparrows. Otherwise all passerines were the same as usual. There was, however, a Mourning Dove walking up Idaho St. Also a robin-sized bird emitted a rich "plink", a sound I have not heard before. It turned out to be a female Pine Grosbeak actively feeding in a 6' Douglas Fir. It was eating the fresh tips of small branches. Not quite the plantation bird I was expecting, but it's a start!
--
David Hutchinson, Owner
Flora & Fauna: Nature Books
Discovery Gardens: Native Plants
3706 Corliss Ave North
Seattle,WA.98103
http://www.ffbooks.net/
206-623-4727