Today Mother Nature is handing Kate and me a bundle of unwrapped holiday gifts. First, the ice melts off our driveway. Then, not one, but THREE Varied Thrush just outside our window. Then a row of sparrows, fence sitting. Why does fence-sitting have a bad connotation? Squirrels are great at it. Sparrows do it well, as well. In that row were TWO White-throated Sparrows.
Above: back row–lefty to right. Spotted Towhee, White-throated Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow. Front row–junco.
Even through a fogged window the Varied Thrush is a creature to behold. No wonder Sibley’s first edition western bird guide had this bird on its cover:
With the second edition he’s moved on to the lazuli.
TWO BRUSSELS BIRDS, photos by Mike Lund. Northern Shoveler and European (or Common) Coot. This species is about the same size as our American Coot. Same pushy personality. But that white facial shield is a clear ID hint.
In Jackson County, Great Gray Owl has a white Christmas. Click here for video by Lee French.
Moving uphill. Now Fiji is years ahead of San Francisco, New Orleans, Miami and Key West. Click here to read about rational response plan as seas get higher.
Morocco oases threatened–click here.
SIX SPARROW SPECIES TODAY!
954 Ratcliff Drive SE, Marion, Oregon, US
Dec 24, 2022
20 species
Mourning Dove 12
Northern Flicker 1
Steller’s Jay 1
California Scrub-Jay 5
American Crow 2
Black-capped Chickadee 1
Bushtit 20
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
European Starling 2
Varied Thrush 3 high count for this season
House Finch 2
Lesser Goldfinch 6
American Goldfinch 40
Fox Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco 30
Golden-crowned Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 1
Spotted Towhee 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 myrtle
Towheeblog 
Merry Christmas to you and all your feathered friends.
By: Kathy Patterson on December 24, 2022
at 5:20 pm
and to you and yours
By: atowhee on December 25, 2022
at 5:30 pm