CLOSED: Bushtits (?) In December

I often see Bushtits in the summer, and have spent many hours searching among our lilacs looking for their unusual nest. Yesterday, I spied motion through our dining room window, and saw these guys (crappy focus). Seriously? Bushtits in Denver at 8 degrees above zero? Which begs the question regarding migration, like were they just passing through and taking a break in some kind of Bushtit pilgrimage to someplace. They clustered, and then were gone. Very curious about this one, and thanks for any help.

Yep, they're Bushtits - they're not migratory at all, and never go far from where they were hatched, not more than a mile or two. Eight degrees above freezing (or even eight below) won't hurt them though, they can tolerate a lot colder than that.

Resin


This message was edited Dec 10, 2016 3:07 PM

Thanks for that info. I had imagined them to be like the Junco, from way up North. So I guess they flit around in groups, hitting feeders as they come across them.

Actually, our winter Juncos here in Colorado aren't necessarily from up north. I believe there are ones that sometimes just migrate down in elevation. You are more likely to see them in the summers at high elevations.