Subject: [Tweeters] Bushtits in Yakima and Kittitas Counties
Date: Jun 1 18:47:05 2012
From: Scott Downes - downess at charter.net


Seeing Bob Sundstrom's note on Bushtits along Umptanum Road reminded me to post the following observation of what looks to me to be substaintial increase in abundance for this species this year in Yakima and Kittitas County. We recently (May 19) conducted our Yakima County migration count and for that count totalled 17 Bushtits; 5 by myself along the Tieton River nature trail and 12 by Debie and Ron Brown along their Wenas route. Along the Umptanum Creek trail this spring I've counted double digits for nesting Bushtits and have also encountered them with some regularity at the Cle Elum Railroad Ponds as well and at their more usual spot of Teanaway River bridge. Sharon Aagaard also recently noted them in Robinson Canyon. This signals to me a marked upturn in their numbers after they had been difficult to only a couple of years ago.

Scott Downes
downess at charter.net
Yakima WA