Yesterday dawned as the best day we have had in quite awhile. The crazy winds had subsided and the temperature hovered around 1 degree Celsius. It was a perfect morning for a bird count and a good walk to offset the holiday feasts.
I covered quite an area without any real notables, pretty much what I expected. All areas I travelled were relatively "birdy," which certainly held my interest. When I finished checking my assigned areas, I decided to check out a few typically-busy feeders.
The parking area in Caledonia Place was buzzing with birds, as usual. I sat in my car and was attempting to count the House Sparrows that were tucked away in a distant shrub. While looking intently, I was surprised to see a different sparrow pop up on the fence. I knew it was a new one for me, but I didn't get a very good look before it flew into a distant tree. I managed to get out of my car and get the first picture shown above. Pitiful! Nevertheless, I had something to show for what I saw.
I watched it fly low into a shrub in another backyard. I couldn't seem to relocate it. When I checked my picture, I really didn't think it was going to provide much help in getting an identification. My best guess was a Chipping Sparrow. I knew the bird was quite rufous and had a white wing bar. That was the best I could do to describe it.
I knew it was time to call in the troops while the bird was still in the area. I made a quick call to Bruce Mactavish, Jared Clarke and Ken Knowles. I hoped they would be able to relocate and identify it.
Within five minutes they arrived, and in less than five minutes, they re-found the bird. Without hesitation, they identified it as an American Tree Sparrow. Wow! A "Life" bird!
Peering through a tangle of branches, I got my first look at the sparrow. Bruce pointed out the smudge on the breast and the two-toned beak. While I couldn't really see the beak in the field, I was very surprised by how distinct the colors on the beak showed up on the pictures.
Toward the end of my day, this was a great, unexpected surprise. It still constantly amazes me to continue to find birds I haven't seen before. During the CBC, John Wells and Chris Brown found a Townsend Warbler. That would be a new one for me, too. As soon as day breaks, I am going to head out in the hope of relocating it. "The year ain't over till it's over!"
Yesterday dawned as the best day we have had in quite awhile. The crazy winds had subsided and the temperature hovered around 1 degree Celsius. It was a perfect morning for a bird count and a good walk to offset the holiday feasts.
I covered quite an area without any real notables, pretty much what I expected. All areas I travelled were relatively "birdy," which certainly held my interest. When I finished checking my assigned areas, I decided to check out a few typically-busy feeders. 
The parking area in Caledonia Place was buzzing with birds, as usual. I sat in my car and was attempting to count the House Sparrows that were tucked away in a distant shrub. While looking intently, I was surprised to see a different sparrow pop up on the fence. I knew it was a new one for me, but I didn't get a very good look before it flew into a distant tree. I managed to get out of my car and get the first picture shown above. Pitiful! Nevertheless, I had something to show for what I saw.
I knew it was time to call in the troops while the bird was still in the area. I made a quick call to Bruce Mactavish, Jared Clarke and Ken Knowles. I hoped they would be able to relocate and identify it.
Peering through a tangle of branches, I got my first look at the sparrow. Bruce pointed out the smudge on the breast and the two-toned beak. While I couldn't really see the beak in the field, I was very surprised by how distinct the colors on the beak showed up on the pictures.
Beautiful! I have a close up image of an American Tree Sparrow in my Google+ bird album if you want to check him out. :)
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