Sping Is Here!

Wow, it's been a while since my last post!  I have A LOT of catching up to do...


Rufous Hummingbird (male)


Male American Goldfinches, apparently turning yellow earlier than usual this year


White-crowned Sparrow - another Spring transient in our yard

So, as you can see, Spring is most definitely here.  Rufous Hummers were at the feeders during the second weekend of March and have been hanging around ever since.  Still waiting on the Black-headed Grosbeaks, Hermit Thrushes, Wilson's Warblers, and Orange-crowned Warblers, but the the ball has clearly begun rolling.  Bushtits are feeding from the suet feeder in flocks of < 10 (sometimes just 1-3 at a time), Ruby-crowned Kinglets are MIA, American Goldfinches and Yellow-rumped Warblers are into the advanced stages of molting, and White-crowned Sparrows (which never seem to winter in our yard) appear to be on the move.  The Purple Finches that graced us with their presence in mid-February haven't been seen for the past three weeks and appear to have moved on.  I'm also seeing fewer Chestnut-backed Chickadees at a time and they're only visiting a couple of times a day now.

However, many of the "winter regulars" are still around and don't appear to be dwindling in number.  These include the Townsend's Warbler, Varied Thrush, and the Pine Siskin.  The latter are still visiting in large flocks (10+).  The temperature has also been dipping down near/at the freezing point at night recently, so it's possible that they may be around for (hopefully) a little while longer.  Northern Flickers don't seem to be in a hurry to head up to the forest-covered hills to breed.

Interestingly, though, I haven't seen a single Ruby-crowned Kinglet since mid-February.  They were still here into April of last year.  I've also not seen a single Steller's Jay since October.  No idea what's going on there.


Yellow-rumped "Myrtle" Warbler - beginning its molt in early March


Pine Siskins - still here and still numerous


A Black-capped Chickadee sings from a treetop on a sunny Saturday afternoon


For now, Varied Thrushes seem content to stick around

Hopefully I will have more Spring migrants for the next installment.

• Posted at Sunday, March 23, 2008 11:24 PM
• In General Category | Permalink