[NatureNS] fox sparrow vs. song sparrow?

From: Marg Millard <mmillard@eastlink.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
References: <604B5D36EA5B47A2816C461B16F8F30B@DavidPC>
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2015 04:48:13 -0300
Importance: Normal
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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I have been watching  birds watching each other and copying their =
methods of feeding, scratching, jumping and scratching, tossing litter, =
where there is an open space...fluttering at a feeder, juncos on Niger =
seed bags; hawks on platform seed feeders, even fluttering at hanging =
feeders............plain and simple everyone is hungry. I am seeing a =
number of injured birds and I am seeing other birds assisting them from =
the look of things.=20
...............................
Derek=E2=80=99s recent post from our neighborhood has prompted us to =
look more closely at our little (c. 6 this winter) flock of song =
sparrows, to see if there might be a fox sparrow among them.  We went to =
the Cornell website, where we looked at the comparison: =
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Fox_Sparrow/id.  Now, we are =
mystified by their statement that =E2=80=9CSong Sparrows do not =
habitually scratch in the leaf litter to find food, as Fox Sparrows =
do.=E2=80=9D  The song sparrows in our yard are ground-feeding birds.  =
They are always hunting in among the leaves and weeds at the edge of our =
garden.  Even with all the snow cover, they prefer to peck at the seed =
that=E2=80=99s fallen rather than go to the feeder perches.=20
Can someone please explain?
Cheers.
Jane and Dave
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<DIV style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ">
<DIV><FONT face=3DCalibri><FONT style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I have been =
watching&nbsp;=20
birds watching each other and copying their methods of feeding, =
scratching,=20
jumping and scratching, tossing litter, where there is an open=20
space...fluttering at a feeder, juncos on Niger seed bags; hawks on =
platform=20
seed feeders, even fluttering at hanging feeders............plain and =
simple=20
everyone is hungry. I am seeing a number of injured birds and I am =
seeing other=20
birds assisting them from the look of things. </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCalibri><FONT=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: =
12pt">...............................</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCalibri><FONT style=3D"FONT-SIZE: =
12pt">Derek=E2=80=99s recent post from=20
our neighborhood has prompted us to look more closely at our little (c. =
6 this=20
winter) flock of song sparrows, to see if there might be a fox sparrow =
among=20
them.&nbsp; We went to the Cornell website, where we looked at the =
comparison:=20
</FONT></FONT><FONT style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><A=20
title=3Dhttp://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Fox_Sparrow/id=20
style=3D'href: =
"http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Fox_Sparrow/id"'><FONT=20
face=3DCalibri>http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Fox_Sparrow/id</FONT></=
A></FONT><FONT=20
face=3DCalibri><FONT style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt">.&nbsp; Now, we are =
mystified by=20
their statement that =E2=80=9C</FONT><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: ; WHITE-SPACE: normal; WORD-SPACING: 0px; =
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style=3D"COLOR: #333333"><SPAN=20
style=3D'FONT-FAMILY: ; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; WORD-SPACING: normal; =
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0pt; mso-fareast-language: en-us; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New =
Roman"; mso-ansi-language: en-us; mso-bidi-language: ar-sa'><FONT=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Song Sparrows do not habitually scratch in the =
leaf=20
litter to find food, as Fox Sparrows do.=E2=80=9D&nbsp; The song =
sparrows in our yard=20
are ground-feeding birds.&nbsp; They are always hunting in among the =
leaves and=20
weeds at the edge of our garden.&nbsp; Even with all the snow cover, =
they prefer=20
to peck at the seed that=E2=80=99s fallen rather than go to the feeder=20
perches.</FONT><SPAN class=3Dapple-converted-space><FONT=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: =
12pt">&nbsp;</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: ; WHITE-SPACE: normal; WORD-SPACING: 0px; =
TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; FLOAT: none; COLOR: ; TEXT-ALIGN: left; WIDOWS: 1; =
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Roman"; mso-ansi-language: en-us; mso-bidi-language: ar-sa'><SPAN=20
class=3Dapple-converted-space><FONT style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Can =
someone please=20
explain?</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: ; WHITE-SPACE: normal; WORD-SPACING: 0px; =
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TEXT-INDENT: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><FONT=20
style=3D"COLOR: #333333" face=3DCalibri><SPAN=20
style=3D'FONT-FAMILY: ; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; WORD-SPACING: normal; =
BACKGROUND-REPEAT: repeat; BACKGROUND-ATTACHMENT: scroll; =
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Roman"; mso-ansi-language: en-us; mso-bidi-language: ar-sa'><SPAN=20
class=3Dapple-converted-space><FONT=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: =
12pt">Cheers.</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN=20
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