For the past week or so I’ve gotten reports of Steller’s jays in the neighborhood, including one report from my neighbor directly across the street. Although we would seem to have fairly good habitat for the birds, I only see one in the yard every two to three years.

On August 9, 2024, I was sitting in the yard (with my camera!) when I saw a very dark bird descending through the trees. While I hadn’t been focused on seeing a jay, when I got partial views of the shadowy bird through the leaves it didn’t take me long to realize that it could be a Stellar’s jay. I took several photos where I could only see part of the bird because I wanted some record of the bird’s visit. It finally emerged into an open area above a water feature and I was able to obtain some good photos of the entire bird. So I now have a record of the bird’s visit!

I was sitting in my office upstairs on the evening of July 25, 2024, when some motion in the yard below caught my eye. As I focused my attention on the yard I was startled to see a white chipmunk run from a brush pile to the rocks forming our watercourse. I raced downstairs for my camera and managed to get photos of the creature in fading light (~8:10pm).  The creature had all the appearances of a Townsend’s chipmunk but for being all white. 

The next day I sent my photos to mammal curators at the Burke Museum at the University of Washington in Seattle. They confirmed that it appeared to be a leucistic Townsend’s chipmunk. (An albino would apparently have had red or pink eyes, and this animals eyes were dark. 

I managed a few more photos early the following morning. The chipmunk traveled through the yard with decreasing frequency for the next four or five days before apparently moving on. A neighbor reminded me that she had told me about seeing a white “squirrel” at the Cap Sante overlook several weeks previously, so in that time it had apparently made its way about half a mile down the hill. 

Here are some photos of the chipmunk… 

I’m going to also mention that I am continuing to see the leucistic Song sparrow that has been in Washington Park (in Anacortes) for at least the past two years. Its summer plumage is appearing somewhat shopworn and the distinguishing white patch on the bird’s forehead is (seasonally) less noticeable. 

On Monday, July 22, 2024, I returned from my early morning walk in WA Park (@55 degrees!) and after a few chores I had breakfast. While cleaning my dishes afterward I glanced out the window and saw a juvenile Black-headed grosbeak on top of the rock that covers the skimmer immediately adjacent to the watercourse. The grosbeaks have been rather scarce in the yard this year, so this was a very exciting sighting… especially since it was the first juvenile I had ever seen. 

I raced for my camera and carefully sneaked outside, finding that the young grosbeak was now in the water getting a drink. I managed to seat myself on a bench and I set up so a minimum amount of movement would be necessary for photographs. The light clouds made it a perfect morning for photography!  

My fear was that the grosbeak would fly straight out of the yard as the adults do after feeding. After a couple of minutes the grosbeak emerged from the watercourse and took advantage of several staging sticks I have positioned adjacent to the watercourse, vocalizing the entire time. I got 39 photos, almost all very good. It hurt to cull them!

I wasn’t sure how the bird got into the yard… I had my doubts it could fly the way it was climbing around the staging sticks. To my utter surprise, it suddenly left the top of a staging stick and flew at least 100 yards, past a neighbor’s house across the street!  It was a very purposeful flight, and I think it might have been joined on its flight by a second bird (probably a parent). 

It’s been quite a while since I last posted to my blog… as friends know, for good reason.  

On Sunday, July 21, 2024, I was well into chores (laundry, guest schedule, repairing bird baths from raccoon depredations, sweeping the upper deck, etc.) when  realized that it was overcast and ideal for bird photography.  I shifted gears and spent several hours outside photographing birds.  There were a lot of them!  The largest populations were House sparrows, both species of chickadees, American goldfinches and House finches… but there were some nice additions.  

• Warbler, Yellow-rumped (two appearances, probably a juvenile) 
• Grosbeak, Black-headed (m & f) 
• Creeper, Brown 
• Bushtit 
• Kinglet, Golden-crowned (m) 
• Quail, California (m, f & 2j) 
• Hummingbird, Anna’s (f) 
• Hummingbird, Rufous (f) 
• Siskin, Pine 
• Flicker, Northern (m, f & j) 
• Woodpecker, Downy (m & f) 
• Nuthatch, Red-breasted 
• Chickadee, Black-capped (a & j) 
• Chickadee, Chestnut-backed 
• Sparrow, White-crowned (j) 
• Junco, Dark-eyed Oregon (m & j) 
• Robin, American (a & j)
• Towhee, Spotted (m, f, & j) 
• Finch, House (m, f, & j) 
• Sparrow, House (m, f, & j) 

I’m still trying to work through all the photos and have a long way to go, but here are a few, all juveniles except for possibly the last one…

Juvenile White-crowned sparrow…

Juvenile Dark-eyed (Oregon) junco…

Juvenile female California quail…

Juvenile American robin…

Juvenile female Bushtit…

Female Anna’s hummingbird…