Towheeblog

Good year for monarchs–click here. Here is some of the data on recent monarch counts in California: “Populations at the overwintering sites I visited ranged from 100 to 24,000 with sites around Pismo, Cayucos and Cambria having the largest numbers. In total, I saw an estimated 107,650 Monarchs at the 24 sites. Comparing my estimates with the Thanksgiving Counts (TGC) made at these sites in 2021 indicates an almost 80% increase. For example, for nine sites in San Luis Obispo County, I estimated a total of 92,810 butterflies last week, compared to 52,212 in the 2021 TGC. Similarly, in the Santa Cruz/San Francisco area my estimate of 34,310 butterflies at nine sites is almost double the 2021 TGC number for these sites (17,556).”

GARDEN BIRDS DURING GARDEN RAIN

Steller’s; WB Nuthatch X 2; Bushtit bunch; our leucistic junco far off, wouldn’t come near the window today. White spot on his forehead above the white beak.

954 Ratcliff Drive SE, Marion, Oregon, US
Nov 29, 2022. 17 species

Mourning Dove  8
Anna’s Hummingbird  1
Northern Flicker  1
Steller’s Jay  1
California Scrub-Jay  5
American Crow  3
Black-capped Chickadee  X
Bushtit  20
Red-breasted Nuthatch  1
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
European Starling  1
House Finch  X
Lesser Goldfinch  X
American Goldfinch  20
Fox Sparrow  1
Dark-eyed Junco  20
Song Sparrow  1