Birds

[digitS']

Do you West Coasters have experience with this little guy’s behavior?

Bushtit Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Bushtits are sprightly, social songbirds that twitter as they fly weakly between shrubs and thickets in western North America. Almost always found in lively flocks, they move constantly, often hanging upside down to pick at insects or spiders on the undersides of leaves. Flocks of Bushtits mix...

www.allaboutbirds.org

You will see from the map that they live inland quite a distance but that is almost entirely South of the ID/NV and WA/OR boundaries. So, they shouldn’t be up here. Except that the range extends into western Canada on the coast. Twelve month residents although it’s noted that they “wander” some during Winter.

This isn’t Winter and 150-300 miles north of their range. I am familiar with most other small birds that they somewhat resemble but these are especially tiny. They hide under plants – hop around and not all that easily frightened into flying.

I have seen them about this time of year, in 3 of the most recent years. Flocks? No, maybe a pair but only 1 this year on 4 different occasions over 5 days.

Steve

 

[ducks4you]

I have seen baltimore orioles HERE before, where they don't belong.
Go figure...

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

TIn Oregon yellow rumpled warbler is common . I see them flooding in huge flocks especially in fall flying south.

Also thought this was of interest: It is also time for the annnual flight south of the Vaux swifts to do their normal ascent down the chimney every year at a school for an over night rest.

 

[digitS']

The cliffs in eastern Oregon have some delightful communities of Swifts during Summertime. Fun to watch them returning to nests in the evening .

Yes, flocks of Yellow-rumped Warblers will sometimes show up in great numbers after a Fall rain to drink out of the puddles. Since they nest so far north, one has to think that they really need to stop for a drink now and then.

Steve

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

There are swifts that nest in a nesting box on the She Shed every year. They are especially entertaining once the
chicks have hatched , busy catching insects in the air.



Don’t ya just love spell check.. rump/rumpus…rumpled..

 

[digitS']

The little birdie is back this morning, before sunrise. Reminds me of Leon Russell's first words according to his mother and reported by a biographer (in Wikipedia ). "'What's the matter little birdie, you cry?'. Russell's mother said 'she was shocked, because he never spoke.'"

Did I say he that together with his feathers he is no bigger than my thumb? All alone, at least I didn't see another with him. The neighbor has cosmos on the other side of a chainlink fence. They are dense and he seems to like it over there but travels through our garden. So small and in such locations, he is very easily overlooked and that may have been what happened during the 2 days that I didn't see him.

Steve