I began composing what was envisioned as an email to document my many migratory bird sightings on the afternoon of May 13, 2021, but each time I attempted to end the email I would experience another interesting sighting. My attempts at documentation were repeatedly interrupted by new sightings which necessitated new rounds of photography. There were very few lulls in observations and on occasion there were multiple birds/species in the yard at the same time, forcing some decisions on my part. By the end of the day I had taken 337 photos, many of which were attempts at ‘record’ shots to document sightings.  

Late in the afternoon things became so hectic I had to abandon my detailed documentation and just begin documenting species and, if possible, sex. So here is the modified email… 

We FINALLY had our first Black- headed grosbeak, a female, after probably hearing males in the area for a couple of weeks. Fortunately I was in the yard with my camera to record the event, a leisurely bath!  I would have much preferred the more colorful male, but hopefully she enjoyed the experience and will return with mate or friends. 

We seem to be overrun with House sparrows which are now vying with Pine siskins and American goldfinches for most populous species in the yard. I haven’t photographed or seen a warbler for several days now although my time spent in the yard is probably down somewhat. 

I’ve spent portions of the last couple of afternoons at a neighbor’s house frustratingly attempting to photograph Black-capped chickadees bringing food to their young. (We have our own nesting pair here in the yard.)  

I just looked up from creating this email in time to see a male Rufous hummingbird preening above the watercourse just in front of me!  I got photos including when he returned to the watercourse to resume his bath!  

One of our resident Townsend chipmunks has stealthily cleaned out the supply of peanuts that I had on the chair tray immediately beside me.  I keep the supply for the chipmunks and some of the sparrow species that have learned to pounce on peanut pieces I toss to them. 

And I just looked up again while composing this to see and extensively photograph what I am tentatively identifying as a Chipping sparrow.  If I am correct it will be the first I’ve seen in my 20 years of living in Skagit County and the first we’ve ever seen in our (3)  yards while in Anacortes!  (I was correct… it was a Chipping sparrow!  This is a new yard bird!) 

But wait!… there’s more!  While still trying to compose documentation a male Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) warbler showed up at the watercourse for a bath!  This species has been our most frequent warbler visitor this spring, eclipsing the Wilson’s warblers I considered our most frequent warbler visitors in past years. 

Yard activity is better than what I first thought it might be and the afternoon is hardly half over at 2:45pm!  

At this point I tried to take a snack break, but from the kitchen I spied a male Red crossbill in the watercourse and rushed back out to the yard in a futile attempt to photograph the bird. (We had a male crossbill hit a window the previous day and I used the opportunity to photograph it with my iPhone while it successfully recovered.  These two photos are of the previous day’s bird.) 

At this point I was only able to list the birds in the order in which they appeared due to rapidly appearing traffic. Unless noted otherwise, the birds appeared singly and not together or in pairs. 

Before I could recover from the male Red crossbill both a Wilson’s warbler and a Yellow warbler appeared in the yard at the same time and I obtained good photos of both. The Yellow warbler has always been a rare visitor to our yard, with only a sighting or two each season.  

I then saw the orange head of a male Western tanager through the foliage of our largest Golden Chain tree.  I managed a ‘record’ shot before it quickly left the yard, flying directly away from me and giving me no opportunity for a better photo. This was the first Western tanager we had seen in the yard this year, but I had seen four males in the Cap Sante wetland on May 7.  

Almost immediately a group of three Red crossbills flew onto the pedestal birdbath only about six feet away from me and too close for photos. Two of the birds were juvenile/females and the other was an older male or female… I find the the colors of the birds can sometimes appear indistinct.  Since I was unable to photograph the birds I’ll have to leave my identification at that. 

At this point I abandoned the email I had been creating on my iPhone and resorted to just recording the species and sex of the birds.  Here is the sequence of additional visits/sightings the rest of the afternoon…

Western tanager (f) 

Red crossbills (m & f) 

Black-headed grosbeak (f) 

Black-headed grosbeak (m) 

Western tanager (m)

House sparrows (first 2 juveniles of season)

Black-headed grosbeak (f) 

I’m not sure I can remember a day of yard birding here on Cap Sante with so many different migrants and unusual visitors. And I was able to obtain photos of all the unusual visitors.  To sum up my sightings on May 13, 2021, as they apply to our yard:  

Western tanager (m & f, first of season) 

Black-headed grosbeak (m & f, first of season) 

Red Crossbills (m & f) 

Yellow warbler (m, first of season) 

Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) warbler (m) 

Wilson’s warbler (m)