[Tweeters] They're Back!

[jimbetz at jimbetz.com]

Hi,

   For a few consecutive days it seemed like there were big changes
happening at our feeders.  I went 4 to 6 days without seeing a
grosbeak or an Anna's.  And very few White-Crowned or Towhees.
Essentially all finches (gold, house, and purple) and sparrows
(house and song).  And the occasional robin looking for worms
in the grass.

   But this weekend they are all back and perhaps in increased
numbers.  Grosbeaks (lots of both and back and forth to the
feeder), White-crowned, Towhees, Anna's and Rufous.  There are
anywhere from 6 to 20 birds at a time in the backyard/in the
front.  Most of the activity is "around the two feeders".
And there are noticeably different sizes (as in recently fledged
young).  Some of the young are 'hanging with Mom/Dad' but most
of them are feeding themselves and more or less independent.
   Maybe they were just taking a break to rest up for the 4th!

   We are not seeing many Stellar's, the Cooper's we had a couple
of weeks ago hasn't been back.  We see an eagle only occasionally
but the vultures are flying around here "every day and many
times a day".  (I love to watch vultures fly - they often seem to
be playing a game of "horse" where they switch off whose leading
and fly routes that are creative and complicated ... just for the
joy of flying and not looking for anything.

   We are seeing deer and rabbits (both parents and bunnies) and
the occasional coyote - including one very skinny coyote in a
recently mowed grassy area along the tracks in North Burlington
that seemed to be looking for voles disturbed by the mowing.

   We are not seeing the typical number of Red-Tailed Hawks as in
previous years and even the Harrier count seems down a bit.

                                                - Jim in Burlington