There is a House Finch family in our garden numerous times daily. They relish the sunflower chips. They eat from hanging feeders, eschewing groundling behaviors. The adult male sings from the power pole, apparently enraptured with his own musicality. The young flutter to get parental attention. One has an orange pate. Their motion and emotion partly covers up the diminished birdiness of this garden. Last winter I might score 25 species in a single day. Now we fall short of ten. We have no dozens of juncos or goldfinches. One junco some days, maybe five Lesser Goldfinches. Gone are all the wintering species. Today we had a visiting flock of waxwings for the first time this year. They’ll be back in September for their annual fruit harvest.
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Female flicker enjoying our suet:
Pringle Creek at Deepwood:
How to become a birder–click here for handy summary of hints.
JUNE FIELD TRIP
Luckiamute Bird-banding Field Trip, June 23. Meet at 730AM at parking lot of the north end of the Luckiamute Landing State Natural Area. Go to Buena Vista Road south of Independence. First you will pass a Paddlers’ Access parking area. Then further south Buena Vista crosses the Luckiamute River. There is a narrow gravel road going east just south of this bridge. It takes you to a gravel parking area where we will meet.
A team of ornithologists will be banding birds and we can watch. The team leaders have been working here for years and will share fascinating data. They finish at 10AM and we should be back at our cars by 11AM. Bring water.
Harry Fuller is trip leader. If you plan to attend email him at: anzatowhee@yahoo. Or text
at 971-312-1735,
Towheeblog 
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