This afternoon when the rain let up a bit I was surprised to see not one but
three Brown-headed Nuthatches in my yard. They zipped back and forth
between the feeders and the dogwoods for about 5 or 10 minutes before they
disappeared. The last time I had one here was June 8.
I've had a few migrants, too, this past week. A female Rose-breasted
Grosbeak on Wednesday who came back on Thursday along with a Scarlet
Tanager. On Friday two Catbirds showed up and stayed a few minutes. My
summer ones had already left. Hummingbirds keep showing up and quarreling
over the sugar water and even sipping at the few flowers that are still
blooming. Not as exciting as all the warblers I keep hearing about but
these birds were a nice addition to my regulars. The numbers of Goldfinch
are increasing so I put out a thistle feeder today.
On another note, I used to wonder if you could identify individual Carolina
Wrens by their songs. Well, I wonder no longer. Some time ago I spotted
one by the Blue Ridge Parkway and watched him as he sang three different
songs. Then just this week one came hopping around on my deck singing
loudly and changing songs and rhythms all within a minute or so. He went
from two-noted to three-noted and back with variations in between. I was
amazed. That bird could have won a competition with some canaries I've
heard. But you all probably know that already and are laughing at me.
Nancy Young
Blue Ridge, VA (Roanoke Valley)
