Regarding House Finches: In the 11 years we've been here, our yard (mile to mile and a half north of the Edmonds ferry dock and roughly a block and a half up/east from the Sound) has consistently had a range of from one, up to four pairs of House Finches visiting year-round. Families have been raised; at times it hasn't been pairs but 1 male accompanied by up to 3 females or other mixes of the sexes off and on.
We didn't start putting feeders out (sunflower-chip plus a suet in cold weather) until 3 years ago, but neighbors have had them. Apparently they (and many other birds) liked the pickings in our organic garden, old apple tree, and otherwise shrubby/ open mix yard, to have spent time in our yard all of the pre-feeder years. They (and others) currently have been enjoying picking at the recently emerging leaf and flower buds on the apple tree. As well as the feeders.
Switching to non-House Finch topic, it is interesting to me to read the various reports from folks around the region including not-so-distant communities, of species just now appearing in their area. Some species, like the White-crowned, Fox, and Golden-crowned sparrows, have always lived in our neighborhood year-round and are among our yard-bird staples.
I also was wondering about the flock of mystery geese mentioned the other day, whether might be Black Brant as they've been gracing the Edmonds area waterfront for over a week now (maybe longer but then, I haven't been out there much lately....)
Appreciating the Tweeters connection...
Dee Warnock
Edmonds
>
Message: 13
>
Date: Sat, 18 Apr 2020 18:57:27 +0000 (UTC)
>
From: Bill Anderson <billandersonbic at yahoo.com>
>
To: "tweeters at uw.edu" <tweeters at uw.edu>
>
Subject: [Tweeters] house finches anyone?
>
Message-ID: <1509906285.1849243.1587236247350 at mail.yahoo.com>
>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
>
House finches used to be the predominant species at my backyard feeders in Edmonds.? They have been conspicuous in their absence since last fall as my safflower feeder as pretty much gone untouched. I have seen a lone male at the feeder twice this week.
>
>
Anyone care to comment on the presence or absence of house finches in their area?
>
>
Bill Anderson; Edmonds, WA. USA
>
-------------- next part --------------
>
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
>
URL: <http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20200418/125d83d4/attachment-0001.html>
>
>
------------------------------
>
>
Subject: Digest Footer
>
>
_______________________________________________
>
Tweeters mailing list
>
Tweeters at mailman11.u.washington.edu
>
http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
>
>
------------------------------
>
>
End of Tweeters Digest, Vol 188, Issue 18
>
*****************************************