RE: House Finches

["Steve Coleman" <scoleman at utah dot gov>]

Thanks to all of you that responded to my e-mail regarding my concern
for the decline in House Finches visiting my feeders. It sounds like
most of you are experiencing a normal winter for House Finches, that's a
relief. I have a few neighbors that put up bird feeders I will ask to
observe their feeders this weekend for a while to see if there are House
Finches showing up in our neighborhood. 

It is a relief to hear that their numbers overall are not down. Perhaps
there is an increase of House Sparrows and the finches are looking
somewhere else. 

I have been getting in addition to the Sparrows:

Scrub Jays (watching every day for a Blue Jay but none so far).
Ruby Crowned Kinglets
Black Capped Chickadees
Magpies
Flickers
Sharp Shined Hawk
one Gold Crowned Kinglet

Usuals that haven't shown up yet this year or at least I haven't seen
them 

Pine Siskins
Gold Finches
White Crowned Sparrows
Downy Woodpeckers
and the Harris's Sparrow that hung out in my back yard last year

PS. I took a short trip to Kaysville Ponds on Thanksgiving to see if
the Ring Necked Ducks and Hooded Mergansers were back. I didn't see any
Ring Necked Ducks but there were two pair of Hooded Mergansers also
several Common Golden Eyes.

Thanks again and happy birding
Steve

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