The travelers are coming by air, departing the same way. No seat belts, no tickets, no arm rests, no face masks, no passport for international travel. Just feathers and flight.
Our last garden siskins were seen on Monday (May 10). Now starlings manage our hanging feeders. At nearby Clark Creek Park yesterday I saw a pair of Black-headed Grosbeaks, my first of the spring. Today I saw a male again. Also, today, a pair of Warbling Vireos foraging together. Both grosbeaks and vireos look very much at home in the cottonwoods along the creek that runs all year. Yesterday I saw my first female Western Tanager of the year–I doubt she will stay down here, preferring more serious forest.
Last two days there have been Yellow Warblers along Clark Creek, and today I again saw my first Pac-slope Flycatcher near where I saw the Dusky two weeks back. Also in the park, a pair of Red-breasted Sapsuckers. Over our neighborhood now are the omni-nosey crows and swirling Violet-green Swallows. Still missing from my spring list: oriole, Calliope Hummer, waxwing, O-S Flycatcher.
Here is shot of one of the last siskins lingering at our feeders a few days ago:
This pair may spend the summer in the park on the tiny stream. Not that’s a safe place for ducklings, and how willthey hide their eggs from the legion of squirrels? Or the crows?
Towheeblog 
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