As the days grow shorter and the air acquires an element of dry crispness, there is little doubt that the equinox has indeed passed us by and that autumn is here. To some this may be a time of disappointment and sadness at the prospect of summer’s long, warm days being relegated to mere memories for another seven or eight months; however to me, the arrival of autumn is a welcome event. Many of my favorite events take place in autumn: our family’s annual trip into the Columbia River Gorge in quest of farm fresh apples, harvest festivals, the inclusion of pumpkin in assorted baked goods, and most especially the reappearance of some of my favorite bird species to our feeders.
This morning I downloaded the memory cards from the Wingscapes BirdCams around our home and was very pleased to discover that a few of my favorites had indeed arrived right under my very nose. Such is the advantage of having the BirdCams – they allow me to record many visitors to the feeders that I might have otherwise missed, as in the case of this recent download I did in two cases.
While I have been hearing Song Sparrows, Melospiza melodia, for about a week now, I had yet to see any on the property.
Red-breasted Nuthatches, Sitta canadensis, essentially a year-round bird here in the Douglas Fir forests of northwestern Oregon, have been especially visible as well as audible for the past few weeks. While I am not hearing their characteristing “ahnk” calls, their nasal peeping as they feed has been a particularly enjoyable sound in the early mornings.
Of particular interest was the appearance of the Purple Finches, Carpodacus purpureus, on September 23. While Purple Finches have been increasing in visibility on our property (the awareness of which I owe much to the use of the BirdCam since last year) I was quite astonished by this early arrival of the species this year.
Peace and good bird watching.
