Greetings, Steve/CoBirders, As you know Steve, I'm just up the road from you in NW COS foothills, and like you have in past years had regular winter visits from both Cassin's finches and both/either red- or white-breasted nuthatches--while having had just one visit from one of the three so far this winter (white-br nuthatch). I'm also missing my usual, regular winter-resident song sparrow(s).
My visits from siskins, as reported from so many everywhere it seems, are also higher this winter, though my largest groups have only been around 20, unlike those huge flocks Steve & others have reported. I've had my normal winter numbers of juncos, spotted towhees, white-crowned sparrows, and bushtits (the latter in flocks up to 20, similar to your reports, Steve), and my regular solitary tree sparrow--but higher winter frequencies this year of both mourning doves and European collared doves (the latter, actually, are first-timers here in my neighborhood this winter). Your sharpie, Steve, (and/or his mate?) is not an uncommon hunter around my feeders as well; most winters I also have an occasional Cooper's--and, rarely, a goshawk. I've been watching unsuccessfully so far for some redpolls or rosy-finches... Marty Wolf @ 6633' in native mixed gambel-oak/pine foothhills In a message dated 01/26/09 18:35:04 Mountain Standard Time, [email protected] writes: Hi all, I guess I'm having out-of-the-ordinary numbers here, north of Garden of the Gods. I keep track of feeder birds for Cornell's Project Feeder Watch, and have had over 75 siskins several times this month, and 175 on 1/17/09. Also I've had a flock of 15-25 bushtits come in, 3-4 times per day for six weeks. As I wrote earlier, I had my first winter-yard Ruby-crowned Kinglet this year. Saw him twice a few weeks ago, and reappeared for a couple of minutes today, at a suet feeder. On the other hand, I've had winter Cassin's Finches at my feeders daily for 15 years, UNTIL this year. I haven't seen one yet, nor any nuthatches yet. Is this an anomaly, or are others observing this as well? This weekend my feeders were discovered by an adult male Sharp-shinned Hawk - an excellent hunter. We've seen three kills in three days, and the feeder birds are REAL skittish! He's been arriving 3-4 times per day, too, and took one of the bushtits out of a pinon tree yesterday. Steve Brown Colorado Springs --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
