This cold/not-cold/cold/not-cold regime has brought lots/few/lots/few birds
into our yard over the past few weeks.
During the cold/cold spells, we can count over 100 birds on the ground eating
millet and seeds spilled from the feeders. Today, so far, a dozen. The flocks
consist mainly of Am. Tree Sparrows & juncos. Our top counts of each: 92
juncos, 35 tree sparrows, both earlier this week.
Yesterday, among several dozen ground feeders, Urling spotted a giant sparrow
- so big you could pick it out just from size and bulk - and IDd it as a
Schistacea race Fox Sparrow. It came in off and on yesterday morning, but we
haven't seen it since.
One interesting pastime we've developed: identifying individual flickers. We
see 2 males (maybe more), one with a tad of red on the back of his neck; and 3
females: one with yellow shafts, one with pale buffy whisker marks (like the
male red whiskers), and one just plain-faced. FeederWatch won't let us report
all 5 unless they come together, which they don't: top Feeder/Watch count is 3.
Bushtits dash in and out occasionally, and surely we miss some of their brief
forays. American Goldfinches showed up in late January; top count, Feb. 2, ten.
One robin, two times this week, on the really cold days, clucking from the top
of Douglas-firs.
We've seen few crows over the winter, but this morning a flock/murder of 28
flew over the house. Occasional raptors along the road: Golden Eagle,
Red-tailed & Rough-legged hawks, kestrel, Northern Shrike.
Hugh Kingery
Franktown, CO
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