Green Tailed Towhee on Lewis Peak

MerryLynn and I drove up Lewis Peak Road this morning in search of the green tailed towhee that was found there last June.  It was there in the same spot - singing and showing off for us.  What a treat!  There were birds singing everywhere we went, but some like ruby-crowned kinglets, orange-crowned warblers and Townsend's warblers were hard to see.  We heard both hermit and Swainson's thrushes, and had a Swainson's come out on a shrub about three feet from the car.  Hammond's and dusky flycatchers were plentiful and MacGillivray's warblers were surprisingly easy to see. There was a huge flock of red-crossbills that flew back and forth along the top while we were watching the towhee. Woodpeckers were scarce, but we did see one red-naped sapsucker, one hairy woodpecker and a couple flickers.  It was a beautiful morning and reminded me of how lucky we are to have the Blue Mountains in our backyard.   Ginger