Fall migration has been much different this year. I haven’t seen any Fox Sparrows, and the White-crowned Sparrow and Eastern Towhee didn’t return to my yard either. Even the Robins were scarce.
I have plenty of Juncos. They are crazy about the seeds on the Amaranthus plants I grew. Over the weekend the dried-up plants were just plastered with Juncos and Goldfinches.
The only unusual bird I’ve seen so far is a female Purple Finch. They are a common feeder bird, but they rarely visit my yard. I don’t see very many House Finches either.
The bird I miss the most this year is the Red-breasted Nuthatch. These adorable little buffoons irrupt south from their home in the spruce and fir forests of Canada every couple of years when food is scarce. Last year they irrupted further south than ever before. This year, there’s not a one to be found.
