Christine, I have seen the same thing this year. We?ve had more juvenile Spotted Towhees and Dark-eyed Juncos in the yard than ever before, with two different broods from the same parents present simultaneously (different stages of molt, some of them still fully in juvenile plumage). The yard seems to be alive with juncos and towhees. Also second broods of House Finches and Song Sparrows, again I presume from the same parents, as there aren?t all that many breeding right around here. It seems like a very good year for passerine breeding.

Exactly like last year, three immature Black-headed Grosbeaks appeared at the feeders just a few days ago. They don?t breed around here, at least the only singing I hear is the occasional male in spring, then they?re gone, but immatures appear every fall. However, only this year and last have I seen three that seem to be traveling together. Very interesting.

But the two tailless Song Sparrows in our yard are adults, perhaps a consequence of a near miss by a cat. They have stayed tailless for several weeks now, not even starting to grow in new rectrices as far as I can see.

Dennis Paulson
Seattle

On Aug 20, 2014, at 12:00 PM, tweeters-request at mailman1.u.washington.edu wrote:

> Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 13:01:59 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Christine Southwick <clsouth at u.washington.edu>
> Subject: [Tweeters] warm weather and late broods?
> To: tweeters at uw.edu
> Message-ID:
> <alpine.LRH.2.01.1408191301590.22401 at hymn03.u.washington.edu>
> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
>
> Sunday I saw in my yard a Song Sparrow with almost no tail. By last evening, the two center rects had grown longer--such a funny plumage stage. Two nice chocolate brown adults were close by.
> I also have three (maybe four?) juvie Oregon Juncos--they are still striped--haven't started changing their body plumage yet, so are still quite young.
>
> I also have juvie Spotted Towhees of three different ages, judging from the differences of their body plumage--I just saw one (at least) that is still fully in its juvie striped suit. I believe that I have at least two breeding pairs, with one pair having a second brood. Some years I have had four pairs of juvies with two being earlier than the two later broods.
>
> I have several (5-7) Red-breasted Nuthatches(RBNU)--that appear off and on. I think that they go back into the woods when it is too hot. I have one RBNU that is so light on its chest and belly that it is almost white. I don't think I have ever seen one quite so light.
>
> And here I thought the babies were done. I know many of this year's chickaees, both Black-capped and Chestnut-backed have left, although I still have a healthy population.
>
> Oh, and I had a Black-headed Grosbeak (BHGR), probable juvie passing through about 6pm--about two weeks after that local family of BHGRs left.
>
>
> Christine Southwick
> N Seattle/Shoreline
> clsouthwick at q.com