Townsend’s Solitaire.

    Harris’s Sparrow

      Highlights:
        Townsend’s Solitaire & Harris’s Sparrow

The season’s second Townsend’s Solitaire was seen on Oct. 20 and the second Harris’s Sparrow of the season was seen on Oct. 25-26.

As is typical this time of the year, the diversity is really winding down. There are still a few lingering mid-season migrants hanging on, but we’re still waiting to see if the winter finch migration will really pick up. The finch migration last fall was pretty spectacular, with daily Pine Siskin numbers getting into the 1,000s by mid-October and Common Redpoll numbers doing the same in late October. We have yet to see any real push of the winter finches this season, but Common Redpoll numbers are picking up a bit, with small flocks regularly being seen on a daily basis. Pine Grosbeaks are present in small numbers most days and Evening Grosbeaks seem to be becoming more regular. Small flocks of Red Crossbills continue to be seen on a daily basis, mostly as fly overs. Bohemian Waxwings have unfortunately been scarce in recent days. Other recent sightings in the woods include; Sharp-tailed Grouse, Rough-legged Hawk, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Rusty Blackbird.

Bohemian Waxwing.

A Pine Grosbeak pealing a Trailing Arbutus berry.

A Halloween Red Bat.

Chris Neri