Ten Species of Sparrows - 2012

 It won't be long until sparrow season is in high gear, and I want to be prepared. After three years of birding, I have to admit, sometimes I look at a sparrow,and I am still stumped. This is especially true if the bird flies by quickly and then is gone.

Nevertheless, there are some sparrows that are pretty easy to identify even with a brief look. The Fox Sparrow is one of these. With its bright rusty head and back, breast streaking, and its lovely song, it is hard to miss.

During 2012, I saw ten different species of sparrows. Some were new ones and of course, there were the year-round regulars like House Sparrows and some Song Sparrows that tend to winter here. On any given winter day it was possible to see a sparrow. 

In addition to the House Sparrows, Song Sparrows, there were also reports of wintering Fox Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, a Lincoln's and an American Tree Sparrow.

Even though I had never seen a Lark Sparrow before 2012, it was one of the easiest sparrows to identify. My first glimpse of it, I knew it was different, and a quick flip through the guide led me straight to an ID. I like it when that happens which I must admit is not very often.

Then, there was the Lincoln's. I found one on Cape Spear road and, while I thought, it was a Lincoln's, I flip-flopped between a Lincoln's and a Swamp Sparrow. There is an image of a very similar looking immature Swamp Sparrow provided below to illustrate just how confusing it can be to identify s sparrow when there is such a mix of immatures among them all.

The mature Savannah Sparrows, like most mature sparrows in breeding plumage, were to identify. 

Then came all of the immatures boasting different colors and more streaking.

These four images of the Savannah show a lot of variation. I have to be on my toes if I am going to learn to identify these quickly.

Having stared down Song Sparrows all winter, I think I will be very confident identifying them this summer. 

 Then again, only time will tell.

If they are hiding behind a branch like this bird is, how will I know? Is this a Swamp or a Lincoln's? Swamp, I think.

What is this immature sparrow with a lot of black? My guess is a very young Savannah. My ID is based on its location (Cape Spear) and the mature birds in the area.

Now, as distinct as this Swamp Sparrow is, how could I not be able to pick them out at any time? Well, they don't all look like this one!

 On some the reddish cap is not always so red, but rather rusty.

There are times when the cap is so red, it almost looks like a Chipping Sparrow. I haven't seen one of them in Newfoundland yet, but I keep looking.

Then there are times when the Swamp Sparrow looks more deep brown than reddish.

Then there are those immatures filled with streaking on their breast.

This one looks a lot like a Lincoln's with the rusty color on the breast. There are so many variations, it is mind-boggling.

When I first saw this American Tree Sparrows, once again the Chipping Sparrow came to mind. Although, when I got a good look at it, I could see the very distinct markings including the yellow lower beak. I think having the opportunity to see this species frequently over the winter, I will be ready to call a quick ID if I ever see one again. Because I hadn't seen one before, it never came to my mind there may be one around.

Then, there was the great White-crowned Sparrow that showed up at the Barrett's in Goulds. This one was not only easy to identify, but it provided a real thrill since it was a first for me.

The White-throated Sparrow in breeding plumage is a breeze to identify. Its very clear whistle makes it easy to follow.

Then, of course not all White-throated Sparrows are mature. This young one being fed by its parent shows how much less pronounced its markings are.

Seeing one alone can cause me to hesitate a moment before making a call on which sparrow it is.

 This one looks so different with its very brown colors, but the yellow lore is developing and the white throat patch is also quite obvious.

Yet again, here is another with some slight variation. As I review all of these pictures, I am sure I will continue to be baffled by some of the sparrows I expect to see over the next couple of months. However, I won't be embarrassed by that, because clearly there are many deviations from the norm. There is, however, no doubt that it gets a little easier each year.

The Bridge between Winter and Spring

 During one of those spring-like days in early March, I got out to enjoy the warmth of the sun and of course, some birds as well. This pair of Eurasian Wigeons was very contented mixing with the other ducks at Kent's Pond.

Their colors seemed richer, probably made to seem so by the brilliant sun-of-the-day.

The warm browns of the female were also quite evident. While watching this couple, I began to wonder about how much longer the wigeons will be around. That in turn led to questions about what will show up next on our radar.

This peaceful scene was totally disrupted by a couple of raucous American Wigeons that flew in and began to torment the male Eurasian. They were relentless, sometimes doubling up on him and sometimes going after him, one by one. What was up with these two?

The days of enjoying our winter ducks and gulls are growing short, and we can expect to see a population turnover soon. The Iceland and Black-headed Gulls seem to already be drifting away. It looks like the Black-headed Gulls, once they have completely transitioned into breeding plumage, move on. It is likely the Pink-footed Goose will lift off some time in April, as well.

However, we will not be "birdless!" In April we can expect to see the return of the Osprey, the American Bittern, and winnowing Wilson's Snipe. The White-throated Sparrows, Fox Sparrows and Savannah's will join the over-wintering Song Sparrows to fill the woods with the sweet sound we have all been missing.

The Ring-billed Gulls will return en masse, as will the Northern Gannet, murres and Common Terns (maybe even a few Arctic Terns.) The Ruffed Grouse will start drumming and a sprinkling of Greater Yellowlegs will begin to appear, way ahead of the other shorebirds. Hopefully, our feeders will fill up with Purple Finch, Pine Siskins and bright yellow American Goldfinch. The first of the warblers we are like to see will be the Yellow-rumped Warblers. I know of one warbler that will be very happy about that.  We are on the edge of the return of the spring birds, and I can hardly wait. Now, all we need is some spring weather to go with it. Long-range forecasts suggest we may have a nice one.

P.S The American Tree Sparrow is still very active and easy to see at Caledonia Place.

Barrow's Goldeneye

Each winter a Barrow's Goldeneye shows up with the flock of Common Goldeneye that populate the inland waters of Spaniard's Bay. Not to be fooled though, this bird is not easy to see.

 Spaniard's Bay is large and often fraught with high winds and white-capped waves. The best chance of seeing this bird is with a scope. From a distance, while bouncing, bobbing and diving, it is very difficult to pick out. I have tried many times and often left shaking my head at the impossibility of the situation.

However, Monday was different. Margie M. and I pulled into the lookout, and much to our surprise, there it was right in front of us. When seen as close as this, it is obvious which is the Barrow's. I say close, but of course, that is relative. It was just off from the beach, but we were sitting in the car, and there was quite a distance between the Barrow's and us. The first picture in the series shows better the distance involved, the other shots are significant crops.

After snapping several blurry shots in the running car, we ventured to get out. Well, it was a bad choice. Sea birds don't like people. The minute they spot humans, no matter how far away, they turn and begin to move farther out from shore. That is precisely what they did. While I didn't get any good pictures, I did get a much better look than ever at this lone Barrow's Goldeneye. I certainly feel better equipped to identify this bird from a distance in the future.

Gray Heron

A mega-rarity has been sitting in Newfoundland for about two months now based on the reports from Little Heart's Ease. The minute the news broke this weekend, the 190 km stretch of road from St. John's to Little Heart's Ease was hot with birders rushing to see a reportedly weakened bird. When Margie Mcmillan and I arrived on Monday morning (a spur-of-the moment decision) we were met by birders from Clarenville, Glovertown and Bonavista.  Scopes, binoculars and cameras were trained on this Gray Heron. A chorus of Ooos and ahhs with a smattering of Wows could be heard all around. While we all oogled, the Gray Heron sat calmly far across the estuary, moving only its head. Reports from later in the day indicated that it did become more active. Concern about its health is passing as yesterday's report was that it was moving about a lot and eating well.

Just how rare is this bird? Check out Bruce Mactavish and Jared Clarke's blogs (links on right side of this page) to get the details on North American sightings of this European, Asian, and South African bird. It just shouldn't be here, but it is, and it is delighting people from the area as much (well, almost as much) as it is the long-time birders who have been awaiting its arrival.