Winter Sparrows

Yesterday the sun came out – finally! with camera in tow, I bundled up to see what was happening around the property.

The first bird I encountered was a Swamp Sparrow that I saw only briefly as I entered the pond area. It flitted from a lower branch on a scrubby tree to the safety of dried and curled sedge-brown grasses along the water’s edge. I confirmed my sighting through the Merlin app. The bird was still vocalizing and Merlin identified it quite quickly. It amazed me because many birds present with a single, high pitched chirp, especially when they are with another and moving along. It’s a sort of “I’m here!” message that is usually echoed by, “I’m here!” by the second bird.

In fall, when the Blue Grosbeaks are moving through the dense spreads of exceedingly tall weeds in search of the seeds those plants provide, I hear this “tink” or “chirp” sound dozen of times. It is only if I’m exposed to the same species for such a long while and then I observe it visually to make the final connection, do I feel confident in my identification skills. But, the next year I seem to require a complete “do-over” to ramp back up to the aptitude I achieved the previous season. Human inadequacy removed, apparently the various “chirping species” are all different enough for a computer app like Merlin to quickly detect.

Not long after Merlin detected the Swamp Sparrow, I came upon a pair of Song Sparrows that were startled enough at my arrival that they flew from one low bush to a small tree. It required some patience, but I finally captured a few images of this cutie.

I spotted a pair of White-crowned sparrows perched in the low bramble near the feeder in the north pond area. The bird on the left is an adult and sports the characteristic “bicycle helmet” black and white head markings, while the bird on the right is a juvenile and will only get his mature colors next spring.

The Field Sparrow is considered “a common species in steep decline” from a conservation perspective. So, when I hear or see one I am always so happy that the species has what it needs to survive (and hopefully thrive) here. I think this bird thought he was doing a good job of hiding in the sun’s shadows, but the sun’s reflection off his lively cream colored chest helped me to spot him. Field sparrows are known for the distinct white ring around their eyes and their very distinct vocalization which sounds somewhat like a bouncing ping pong ball.