Shades of Gray

As I write this, Portland is experiencing it's 30th consecutive day of rain. The trees are dripping. The birds are dripping. My wooden feeders have gotten so waterlogged that one of them broke the branch it was hanging from and crashed to the ground. It will need some fairly major repairs before it can be re-hung. Coastal rivers have already flooded, and at one point Highway 101 was a foot under water near Tillamook. Inland rivers are approaching flood stage, and several are under flood watches or warnings. The whole region seems to be painted in shades of gray.

A few months ago we were still in a serious drought situation. I guess we're making up for it now!

Speaking of gray, the last storm brought an increase in the number of bushtits visiting my yard. If you've been reading my columns for any length of time, you know how much I enjoy these tiny, sociable little birds and I'm delighted to be hosting so many of them this winter. As best I can tell, there are two major flocks that pass through the neighborhood. One has about 20 birds, the other has 40-50. Some have been coming to my yard for at least two years, because there are a few who still fly directly to the branch where I had the suet feeder hanging last year. I've moved it to an easier-to-reach location this year, and they always find it eventually, but some of those birds have long memories! They're so cute, like little pilgrims in the way they're dressed entirely in gray and in the way they flock together for food and safety. I've yet to have them nest in my yard, although they have nested nearby.

Other recent arrivals include the beautiful varied thrush. I've had one almost all week, scratching through the leaf litter and pecking at windfall apples. Thrushes, like robins (which are members of the same family) are not normally feeder birds, although you'll sometimes see them rustling around under feeders looking for bugs and worms. In my yard I can often find them working through the laurel bushes and holly tree hunting for berries. Occasionally they'll come to a feeder for chopped fruit or plumped raisins, but that's rare. They love fresh water, though, and are often the first at the birdbath in the morning.

In addition to the thrushes, I've also marked the arrival of a small flock of golden- crowned sparrows, regal with their speckled backs and striped heads. Although the golden- crowns will sometimes fly up to the platform feeder, they're much happier messing about in the leaf litter hunting for bits of cracked corn that I toss out in the mornings. I'm nervous about feeding birds on the ground, because I've as yet been unsuccessful in discouraging the neighborhood cats from hanging around, but I can't resist the pretty little sparrows.

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