SearchforUnusualSparrowsOctober22,2016

ByRobertaNewtonOnacoolandbreezySaturdaymorning,October22,2016,ninebirdersleftLakeBrandtMarinatohuntforsparrows.ThetrekleadbyScottDePueincludedAmyHanson,ElizabethLink,HenryLink,RobertaNewton,KimberlyO’Neill(anewbirder),LouSkrabec,MattWangerin,andAnnVanSant.ThemostnotablesparrowwastheVesperSparrowwhoposedintheopenforphotosonStraderRoad.Othersparrowspeciesincluded:ChippingSparrow,FieldSparrow,White-throatedSparrow,SongSparrow,andSwampSparrow.AcoupleofDark-eyedJuncosandEasternTowheeswerealsologged.AtripbacktoLakeBrandtMarinacapturedBonaparteGullsandaForster’sTern.ThenumberofspecieslocatedatPriceParkandHighwoods/RetentionPondareasreflectmiddayandbreezyconditions.Overallwewerepleasedtoidentify57species. Species Lake

BrandtMarina

BroncoLane

StraderRoad

PricePark/Highwoods

1 CanadaGoose x 2 RuddyDuck x 3 Pied-billedGrebe x 4 Double-crestedCormorant x 5 GreatBlueHeron x x x6 GreatEgret x 7 BlackVulture x x x 8 TurkeyVulture x x x9 Sharp-shinnedHawk x 10 Red-shoulderHawk x 11 Red-tailHawk x x12 Killdeer x 13 Bonaparte’sGull x 14 Forster’sTern x 15 RockPigeon x 16 MourningDove x 17 Red-belliedWoodpecker x x 18 Yellow-belliedSapsucker x 19 DowneyWoodpecker x x 20 NorthernFlicker x 21 EasternPhoebe x x x22 BlueJay x x x23 AmericanCrow x x x x

VesperSparrowPhotoCredit:AnnVanSant

24 CommonRaven x 25 TreeSwallow x x 26 CarolinaChickadee x x x27 TuftedTitmouse x x 28 White-breastedNuthatch x x x29 Brown-headedNuthatch x x 30 CarolinaWren x x31 Golden-crownedKinglet x x 32 Ruby-crownedKinglet x x 33 EasternBluebird x x x x34 HermitThrush x35 AmericanRobin x 36 GrayCatbird x 37 BrownThrasher x x38 NorthernMockingbird x x x39 EuropeanStarling x 40 AmericanPipit x 41 PalmWarbler(western) x 42 CapeMayWarbler x 43 Yellow-rumpedWarbler x x44 ChippingSparrow x x x45 FieldSparrow x 46 Dark-eyedJunco x 47 White-throatedSparrow x x48 VesperSparrow x 49 SongSparrow x x 50 SwampSparrow x x51 EasternTowhee x 52 NorthernCardinal x x x x53 Red-wingedBlackbird x 54 EasternMeadowlark x x 55 CommonGrackle x 56 Brown-headedCowbird x 57 HouseFinch x