So far, we have had a very slow fall migration at our place in the west end of the Columbia Gorge. There was a poor crop of fruit on our Bitter Cherry and Cascara trees so they did not attract any large flocks of Black-headed Grosbeaks and Western Tanagers and were mostly consumed by the Cedar Waxwings in mid-August. Today after the rain subsided Susan and I were sitting on the back deck and noted our first flocks of American Robins arriving, apparently the plentiful Mountain Ash berries haven't ripened yet as they ignored them. When these trees ripen they are a magnet for mixed flocks of thrushes that will strip a dozen 30 year old trees within a week. While sitting on the deck we spotted a female Calliope Hummingbird perched atop a shrub and then had a taiga Merlin land on top of a small tree near us where it remained for several minutes. And we had the first fall flock of Band-tailed Pigeons descend on our feeders. We are hopping that tomorrow mornings coffee on the deck will include some migrant warblers and vireos. Wilson Cady
Columbia River Gorge, WA
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