[NatureNS] clay-coloured sparrow (not chipping) at home, plus Grand Pre birds,

Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:01:04 -0400
From: Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Cc: Alison Bogan <alison@bogan.ca>
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Dec. 20, 2007 - I did a bit of birding at Grand Pre today.  At Sheila and
Earl Youngıs feeders at 2165 Grand Pre Rd., I did NOT see the eastern
towhee, but present were 1 song sparrow, 1 white-throated sparrow, lots of
goldfinches and house sparrows (check the planted cedars along the road), 6+
chickadees, 6 blue jays, 10+ mourning doves.

Just to the north, at 2188 Grand Pre Rd., there was a single C. GRACKLE
(presumably the same one seen occasionally by the Youngs), at least 3
REDPOLLS, etc. (goldfinches, tree sparrows, hairy woodpecker, downy
woodpecker, blue jays, mourning doves, starling(s)).

Along the same main road across the dykelands, 10 horned larks with a single
LAPLAND LONGSPUR.

10 pheasants and 2 bald eagles etc. on Long Island, north Grand Pre.

Along the north end of Old Post Road, 10 SONG SPARROWS with 3 AM. TREE
SPARROWS.

At Noggins Farm Market at Greenwich, 200 starlings (nothing else with them),
and 3 BALD EAGLES: the one adult eagle was dive-bombing the 2 immatures or
juveniles in the air not far from the nest -- not surprising, perhaps trying
to get the offspring to redistribute themselves?

Dec. 21, 2007 - Besides seeing a male CARDINAL again at my feeders, for the
first time I took a good close look at my presumed ³CHIPPING SPARROW² and
concluded, after looking at Sibleyıs nice illustrations, that in fact it is
very probably a CLAY-COLOURED SPARROW!, which would make a nice addition for
our Christmas Count, since it has been here daily since before Dec. 15th.
Iım going primarily on the lack of contrast between the rump and lower back,
both of which are the same shade of olive-brownish.  I didnıt really check
out the moustache marks yet.  Now I need someone like Richard Stern, Harold
Forsyth, et al., to come here and patiently try to confirm my new diagnosis.
The illustrations in the new Nat. Geogr. field guide seemed less useful to
me.

Naturally this makes me wonder how many of the good numbers of supposed
chipping sparrows around here this winter are actually clay-coloured????
They all need to be checked out carefully.

Cheers :-) from Jim in Wolfville, 542-9204
---------------------
Jim (James W.) Wolford
91 Wickwire Avenue 
Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
B4P 1W3
phone (902)542-9204 (home)
fax (902)585-1059 (Acadia Univ. Biology Dept.)
e-mail <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
----------------------
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and we have no right, by anything that we do, or neglect to do, to involve
them in unnecessary penalties, or to deprive them of benefits which are
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