Bushtits at Deception Pass
The first day of October and Deception Pass State Park have given me beautiful weather and a first sighting. In a small grove of Shore Pines at West Beach , I spotted a half dozen tiny birds making a chattering ruckus in the branches. From their size, I first thought they were wrens. When I noticed the light gray coloring, I wasn't sure what they were. These fast moving, active little birds were difficult to photograph in the branches, but I managed to get a few shots. I hoped a couple would turn out to be useful. When I got home, I identified them as Bushtits ( Psaltriparus minimus ) using iBird Pro's * search function. This is a handy tool I have used several times. This is an adult female bird in the photos, identified by her light colored eyes. Males and juveniles have dark eyes. According to Birdweb, they live in "mixed coniferous and deciduous areas with shrubby growth." That describes the dune forest at West Be...