Anyone else having a wing-caused wind storm? Leaves are just flying off the trees in our back yard. Over 30 robins came through about an hour ago and just now at least 15 large... and extra large blue jays (must be from up-north) invaded... along with at least two woodpeckers (hairy) accompanied by dozens of LBJs I couldn't identify...plus our regular population of cardinals, goldfinches and nuthatches.... what a sight! They were above the waterfall, shaking and bombing through the trees with such enthusiasm that the leaves just couldn't hang on. It was like a 40 mile-per-hour windstorm had hit.

Straubs have reported the observation of a white throated sparrow at 4:30 yesterday, (Sept. 23) afternoon as well as red-winged blackbirds, "very nervous and numerous, jittery and constantly on the move." Perhaps we will here more on this, directly from the Straubs.

In late September, the red-winged blackbirds return to the Straub Pond sporadically, usually toward nightfall and in small numbers. On the 24th, small flocks visited and revisited the marshy area and electrical wires the hour before sundown. They bounced about, chasing and chattering, never settling for any length of time. During this period, Canada geese families dropped enroute from the Goose Preserve to Minnesota River overnight spots, suspicious of any nearby movement. This bird behavior was followed by two evenings of heavy rain and unsettled weather. Birds are fine weather predictors.

Large (50 and more) flocks of bluejays passing through from Canada and northern Minnesota. Yellow-shafted flickers in small groupings (six to nine) along mowed areas of country roads and nearby bare trees. Canada geese common in harvested corn and beans shortly after sunrise and again prior to sundown, resting in sanctuaries during day. Many species of hawks drifting lazily overhead, frequent sightings of turkey vultures, individuals and three-somes.

It must have been one of those northern flocks of bluejays that hit our backyard yesterday. A smaller group (about 15) stopped by the other day but yesterday there must have been 30 or more. Boy, can they make noise and rustle the trees. They were at the waterfall again.... after the water and a good bath.

A few yellow shafted flickers persist in staying about, robins continue to be found in country ravines as well as in towns. In spite of the cool moist weather, we encountered a batch of kinglets (couldn't be sure if they were ruby-crowned or golden-crowned) deep in the forest on 10/13. In spite of 47 degrees F., insects were on the move in the tall nettles and lower story of the trees and brush, thus attracting the fast moving birdniks. The most exciting discovery was a little BROWN CREEPER. Normally we do not experience this bird until January, however, we were able to slip very close to the creeper which was traveling swiftly up the trunk of a tall black-cherry tree, scanning for live insects and hidden larvae/cocoons. We snapped a photo of the perky bird, but didn't do it justice. It seemed to be in the company of the kinglets.

There is a great stirring in the air over Henderson/LeSueur today! How long it will last we can't be certain. Great flocks of red-winged blackbirds and grackles are wheeling about, uncertain as to direction. A huge flock of robins settled into the trees on the valley's edge last evening (over 500). Soon, maybe today, long strings of blackbird/grackle mix will head southward, the ribbon sometimes taking ten minutes to pass! The northern flickers appear to have fled, "anting" as they go. A few stragglers remain to compete with the cedar waxwings for the last of the wild grape fruits. Waxwings are consuming great quantities of red cedar berries, leaving blue piles of uneaten morsels under the trees. White-throated sparrows in threes and fours skulk through the thickets this morning, keeping a close watch for the omnipresent sharp-shinned hawks. Yes, migration is well on its way.

Doris Winter of LeSueur reported a pine siskin at her feeder l0/24. Doris is an experienced birder, and yet we normally see the siskin in late December and through February. Lo and behold!!!!! A whole flock of the little birds mixed in with the goldfinches at Fr. Paul Schumacher's thistle/sunflower feeders this very day!!! (St. Joseph's Church, top of Church Hill.) Snapped photos, which were very fuzzy since we were excited. The siskin appears SO like a goldfinch, yet look for a heavily streaked tummy (belly), breast and back, with yellow on the bars of the wing and at very bottom of tail. Look up the word " irruptive" and let's listen to Jim Gilbert on Sunday morning as to whether others in state are reporting same sightings. Fr. Schumacher's feeders are also attracting a red-breasted nuthatch (a bird which summers in northern Minnesota and Canada) which normally extract seeds from pine cones, but will eat seeds and suet. Has a nifty little song which makes identification easy.

The SHRIKES have arrived!!! We're not certain if it's the loggerhead or northern shrike, but are placing our bets on the loggerhead for now. Usually this bird is spotted in our Holiday Bird Count, latter part of December, but this is the earliest we've ever observed one. Add this to the early arrival of the pine siskins, red-breasted nuthatches and purple finches. For this batch of birders, we're puzzled.

Little BROWN CREEPER made another appearance today. Flies to the base of a tree, prefers our dead butternut stump, travels in a circle upward searching for grubs, insect larvae and spider eggs. Looks like a small brown lump with a white throat. Occasionally (other years) there has been a pair, but due to their size and quick movements, we've never managed a photo. This WILL be the year. The big thrill of this day was a FOX SPARROW. Bird reference texts refer to this bird as "uncommon," we usually observe but one a season, and often only in early November. It is one of our larger sparrows, and is a beautiful rust or foxy color. Scratching for seeds with chicken-like movements, it sticks very close the the nearest hedge or brush pile. Barb was able to take a very presentable photo today. It will appear in the photo section soon. An interest interaction today was a skirmish between a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK and a PILEATED WOODPECKER. The sharp-shinned attacked again and again, while the pileated fled, protecting itself by sidling behind large branches. The hawk eventually gave up the chase and took on nearby bluejays.