[Tweeters] White-Crowned Sparrows ... and more

[jimbetz at jimbetz.com]

Hi all,

   About a week (10 days?) ago I confirmed Gary's sighting of
more than typical numbers of White-Crowned Sparrows.
   They are still showing up here at our backyard seed feeder.
They feed primarily on the seeds kicked out onto the aggregate
below the feeder - and in the recently re-seeded lawn.  We are
seeing them "every time we look in the back yard".  Probably as
many as 10 to 15 at any one time.
   I suspect this 'flock' is actually the same population - but
no way to know for sure.
   Whenever I've gone out to that yard they fly away - as far as
the nearest bush/tree and complain about having to be away from
their choice of feeding.  And then promptly return to the yard
as soon as I go into the house ... no more than 3 to 5 minutes
afterward.

   There is a similar number of finches (Siskins, House/Purple,
and Goldfinches), a few towhees, and even a few Black-capped
Chickadees.  We will see the -occasional- Flicker, Stellars,
a Bald Eagle that likes to sit a spell on the tree top below
us, the ever present Anna's, a few crows and/or ravens, and
every 10 days or so a Red-Tailed Hawk.  We were seeing a few
vultures about a month ago - but none since.

   Recently we've been seeing Violet-Green Swallows that zoom
around catching insects right in front of our windows/deck/house -
they will land, briefly, on the roof and look in under the
eaves but so far no sign of a nest build in progress (this year).

     - That's a 'typical' day here in Burlington ... Jim