Spring Pine Grosbeak

Steadily, I have been seeing Pine Grosbeaks since January.  There was a pair on Blackhead Road that showed themselves all winter. This gave me an opportunity to really look them over.  Even in off-breeding season, they are a striking bird with their size, posture and color.  The male with its reds and the female with its dull yellows and browns.

However, never have I seen one so brilliant as this male Pine Grosbeak found sitting in a tree on Power's Road. It sang a song just as rich as its red color. One of the nice things about finding a singing bird is that it will likely stay for a while providing a great opportunity for viewing.


After a gray winter, the beautiful colors of spring birds provide excitement and enjoyment. This lure can easily zap six hours out of an otherwise productive day!

Swamp Sparrow vs. Chipping Sparrow

Having, twice, recently encounter several Swamp Sparrows with bright red/brown crowns, I began to wonder: Could this be a Chipping Sparrow. 

This prompted me to study more closely the many pictures in my guides and online, as well as my own pictures gathered over the months. On the outside chance that a Chipping Sparrow might just pop up any time, I don't want to dismiss it as a Swamp.

The first five pictures in this post were taken in the month of May, both last year and this year.

This is when the Swamp shows its richest colors. Rusty reds and bold black markings on its upper body.

Yet, during May there are still some variations. Some Swamps are just more reddish than others.  This particular bird shows very little brown on the sides as the above birds.

Over the summer, there are clearly transitions that occur.  This Swamp Sparrow has much more of a buffy colored breast rather than a gray breast.  The crown shows more brown fading into a rusty color and there is a distinct white center line at the front of the head.

This Swamp viewed in July seems to have lost almost all of its rusty color and from the front, the head and breast are clearly gray, much like the fourth picture above taken in May.

This August picture of a Swamp suggests an immature bird, fluffy and without distinct markings.

By September, the Swamp Sparrow reds have faded into browns. However, the bold black lines on its back remain. It is very easy to think the birds of May are a different species from the Swamps of late summer and fall. What have I learned from looking at all of these pictures?  Often, it is not the overall color that is important but rather: 1) absence of streaking on the breast, 2) white throat, 3)  the malar stripe, 4) pale median stripe, 5) gray face, and 6) wings with black and white stripes.

The Chipping Sparrow, by contrast, has some distinct differences: 1) no malar stripe, 2) an orange crown, 3) red-brown forehead, 4) rounded wings with white wing bar, and 5) less bold black markings on the back.

There are many similarities between these two species of birds, especially in Spring. To be sure not to miss an uncommon Chipping Sparrow, it is important to look closely at all of the markings and get a picture, if possible.  Note:  This picture of a Chipping Sparrow was taken in Arkansas.

Common Loons - 2012

The Common Loon has moved into the inland waters for breeding. Over the winter, it is relatively common to see the Common Loon in the bays on the Southern Shore.

Common Loons are very large and looking very handsome right now in their breeding plumage. While these birds are awesome with their bold markings and size, it is very hard to get a good picture unless you hide away and lie in wait.  As soon as they see people approaching, they typically dive and resurface some distance away or just slowly but steadily move out of range of a lens.

While males and females look very much alike, the juvenile can be readily identified at this time of the year by its gray bill and mottled underparts (similar to the bird's winter plumage.) The juvenile may go through three to five molts before it attains the full breeding plumage as seen here. Since they molt twice a year, it may take a Common Loon between two to two and a half years to reach full adult plumage. This, I assume based on the number of molts.

The call of the loon is haunting and comforting, all at the same time. It is sometimes described as a "loon laugh" or a yodel and can be heard from some distance away.  I heard one fly overhead when I was downtown early one morning this week. When a large dark spot appears on a pond, it is likely a loon.