Lincoln’s Sparrow
Talk about contrast! A bright sunny morning made it tough to discern what this perching bird was, but a little more light with eyes adjusting in the binoculars then lowering shutter speed and raising ISO allowed for a better look at this posing Lincoln’s Sparrow.
Read MoreLincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)
I mentioned how Lincoln’s Sparrows were being spotted earlier than expected this year in my post about Palm Warblers from this morning (I wrote it yesterday). Sure enough, here’s my September Lincoln’s Sparrow from about 7:30AM today. I love them, and it was beautiful as always, but it is very unsettling to see another so early. Last week RTPI Development Director Linda Pierce sent me this article on Braddock Bay Bird Observatory and their increasingly early records, and one of the species named was the Lincoln’s Sparrow. I will be interested to see if we note a...
Read MoreLincoln’s Sparrow
This little Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) made me a happy man early this morning as it gave me a look over for a couple of seconds while in the open. It has been around for a few days, avoiding me nonstop. I fired off eight shots and ended up with these two to show for it. The shy and sneaky species is an uncommon migrant that can most often be found in busy sparrow habitats in the middle of October. I hope a Vesper Sparrow will treat me this well sometime this week. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreLess Common Yellowthroats
What a difference a day makes! Yesterday, October 1, changed both the calendar and the composition of life as nocturnal migration slammed a lot of areas in the lower Northeast and Mid-Atlantic with some of those really autumnal avian sightings. I had my first of fall White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos along with dozens of Eastern Phoebes. I also picked up a Lincoln’s Sparrow to start off the most sparrow month of the year. Warblers are starting to thin out and turn over to later migrating species, and the now less Common Yellowthroats like this one are becoming a bit more...
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