This morning’s Cayuga Bird Club field trip delivered pretty much everything
I hoped for – a good-sized group (ten people), lots of sparrows (seven
species), and many very satisfying and enlightening encounters with these
and other birds, all under a rainless gray sky. Here are some highlights.
* We had four or five good views of LINCOLN’S SPARROW. I thank Anne Marie
Johnson and Suan Yong for the majority of these sightings. In understand
that the last sighting yielded some very fine photos for Suan. Check back
later for a link.
* We had several very fine views of SWAMP SPARROWS, including one that
seemed more strongly streaked than the others – maybe a juvenile. All of
these birds were near the eastern edge, close to the trees.
* We found more WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS than I did yesterday – I’d guess at
least five. One of these birds bore distinct streaks on its front and
sides – evidently a juvenile, one of only a few I’ve confidently identified
around here.
* Among several FIELD SPARROWS, at least three had short tails – one
practically as short as that of a Winter Wren. I haven’t seen these
individual birds this fall until today. Very cute!
* All morning, we studied SAVANNAH SPARROWS in various plumages, postures,
and even apparent sizes. I wish I knew more about clinal variability of
Savannah Sparrows, in order to determine if there is some remarkable
convergence of Savannah Sparrows here from widely separated regions. At
one point, we saw two Savannah Sparrows perched for about a minute at close
range within a couple feet of each other – one modestly-proportioned bird,
mostly tan with a yellowish face, and the other much larger, with striking
contrast between dark streaks and white ground color.
* We also had good practice all morning in identifying Swamp Sparrows,
White-throated Sparrows, and INDIGO BUNTINGS (several in tall yellow
flowers by treeline) based on differences in their cardinal-like chip notes
– Swamp a little sweeter (somewhat like a phoebe – thanks, Tom
Schulenberg), Indigo Bunting much sharper with a spitting quality, and
White-throated plain and clear, not too hard but not too sweet.
* CHIPPING SPARROWS and SONG SPARROWS rounded out our list of emberizids
today, unless you also count an EASTERN TOWHEE that I thought I heard
calling once. We didn’t find any White-crowned Sparrows today.
* Seconds after I was talking about how we should expect them, I actually
did see a western PALM WARBLER, looking very pearly gray in the
cloud-filtered light. I am sorry that others missed this bird.
* And we witnessed several dramatic sweeps by raptors, including a small
falcon (probably AMERICAN KESTREL, I thought) and a juvenile COOPER’S HAWK
attacking a Red-tailed Hawk.
Thanks to Suan, Anne Marie, Diane, Bob, Joan, Debbie, Sandy, Mary, and
Nancy for sharing this great outing!
Mark
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