Grassland Migrants
Yesterday I was able to enjoy and photograph a couple of uncommon grassland birds for us in the Northeast – the Dickcissel (Spiza americana) and the Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum). Both of these species had been spotted at Stratford Point where they are almost annual visitors, with Dickcissels typically stopping over in the fall and Grasshopper Sparrows being seen sometimes in both spring and autumn. I decided to take a walk around the site with my friend and great birder Tom Murray as we were giving the sparrows some space in hopes the unseen Grasshopper would pop back...
Read MoreDickcissel Banded
Last month I was happy to find a Dickcissel (Spiza americana) in the field as one of my autumn migration highlights, and even more thrilled to have it be so cooperative for photos. RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser actually netted a Dickcissel while banding! It turned into quite the celebrity at Audubon Greenwich with everyone stopping to take a gander at the migrating vagrant. It was only the fourth of fifth record for the Audubon Greenwich site. Sean sees them in Central America, though it was actually his first time catching one and he believes the first time seeing one in the U.S. Scott...
Read MoreDickcissel (Spiza americana)
The highlight of my Sunday birding was this Dickcissel (Spiza americana). My friend, and terrific birder, Tom Murray and I had crippling views of this bird after we spotted it simultaneously among so very many sparrow migrants. It hid on us for about 20 minutes after we first got a quick glance for the initial identification, eventually granting prolonged looks. Persistence pays off! Patience (and sometimes a lot of silence instead of pishing) often helps when you want to a better look a specific individual. This bird of the prairies and grasslands of the Central and Midwestern United States...
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