Hi Tweets -- It's that time again on the calendar. That silly little game
I play during the first hour or so of every new year, trying to predict in
correct sequential order the first ten birds that show up in the yard &
feeders. You might want to play your own version or whatever. I've been
doing dry runs for the past four early mornings and usually amass the first
ten within the first hour of daylight (0730-0830hrs).

Here's my 2014 predictions:

#1 -- Anna's Hummingbird
#2 -- Song Sparrow
#3 -- Spotted Towhee
#4 -- American Crow
#5 -- Dark-eyed Junco
#6 -- Northern Flicker
#7 -- Red-breasted Nuthatch
#8 -- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
#9 -- Chestnut-backed Chickadee
#10 -- Black-capped Chickadee

I had a couple unexpected 'wild cards' during the past 4-days 'dry runs'
that could muck things up. Nice, but..., not counting on either. Common
Raven came in #5 of Dec 28, and Merlin came in #6 on Dec 29.

For the first year ever, Varied Thrush does not make my first ten yard
prediction list. Could happen, but the odds are much lower than a more
typical winter season. Varied Thrushes just aren't around much so far this
winter, at least here in my yard and neighborhood, or even in the Lake Hills
Greenbelt for that matter. I suspect that fact and the seeming scarcity of
Varied Thrushes in the lowlands around here may be due to the 'snow drought'
in the Cascade foothills and mountains and they are just staying up there
for now.

I will report tomorrow once the first ten results are in. Have a Happy
birding New Year!

Richard Rowlett
Bellevue (Eastgate), WA