After a wonderful trip to Spain with a stopover in Lisbon, we are back in Vermont at the start of stick season. The leaves are gone and many of the birds but many of our favorites are around. Here are some:
The cooler temperatures remind me of what’s ahead but also makes me think of Snowy Owls and the redpolls, crossbills, and waxwings that may show up. Good birding.
I took the Vizsla on a birding outing this morning to the local North Branch Nature Center – I wanted to check out the community garden for birds. I hitched up her leash to my belt and off we went, with her dragging me along the mowed pathway. I met an acquaintance who I see birding from time to time and he reported that he saw many sparrows, and ticked them off to me, including a couple of juvenile Field Sparrows.
Well, my sparrow expertise is about like my warbler ID skills – not great — but I had already heard a Song Sparrow sing from the top of a bush as I started out. That seemed pretty unusual for this time of year but it was a good start.
I entered the fenced-off garden and watched dozens of skitterish sparrows scatter here and there. I could see that many were Song Sparrows but then I started to see a few White-Crowned Sparrows. Here’s a poor picture of one — I’ll blame it on the morning light.
In addition to the many active Black-capped Chickadees were a dozen or more Chipping Sparrows.
A young Chipping Sparrow posed in the morning sunlight.
I also saw some Lincoln’s Sparrows and was looking for White-throated Sparrows but they were likely back in the woods. Finally, a gardener, with a dog, showed up and I left her to her fall chores since my dog was very interested in hers.
This afternoon I went for another walk with the Vizsla in our woods and among other birds, saw two very cooperative White-Throated Sparrows. They flitted around and I was able to grab a couple of photos of them.
I suspect I’ll try to get back to the garden sans dog later this week and check for Field Sparrows. I have yet to see one this year — about the only one I’m missing from our usual suspects.
A handsome White-Throated Sparrow in our woods.
When I watch sparrows I wish that I had started birding decades ago like many my age but hey, we all need challenges. Sparrows are one of mine.
Things are pretty quiet these days in our woods as I walk the dog on our trails — aside for some deer watching us nearly every walk and numerous red squirrels and chipmunks, the activity has died off as birds prepare for migration and winter. The Chickadees are still chipping away and I watch them for visiting warblers honing in on their local knowledge. Blue Jays are as raucous as ever and lately, Red-breasted Nuthatches have been calling away as they forage.
There are some spots along the way where I have seen Common Yellowthroats all summer. They are still here but never sing and even chip less frequently. I can tell where they are from the movement of the bushes where they hide and every so often, get a glimpse of one — as the shot below illustrates.
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| A Common Yellowthroat hiding in the bushes. |
Song Sparrows are also still here but furtive in their movements. They no longer sing from the top of bushes but we have a nice crop of juveniles getting fattened up for their trip south. They tend to sit a little more cooperatively like this guy that I photographed a few days ago.
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| A young Song Sparrow |
It has been interesting watching the American Goldfinches at the feeder. Some have bright new plumage, others are pretty ratty looking as they molt. All seem to be loading up with food and I expect that soon their boisterous arrivals and departures — a spectacle of gold and black — will be out of here.
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| Dozens of American Goldfinches adorn our backyard but they’ll be off before long. |
The White-Throated Sparrows don’t sing their “Peabody, Peabody, Peabody” call that livens up our woods all spring and summer but they are around with a new crop of youngsters. They may head out but we’ll have their northern cousins here all winter.
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| A White-Throated Sparrow hiding from the camera |
I read an interesting article on fall birds by Kenn Kaufman in the latest Bird Watcher’s Digest. I had never thought about the fact that many more birds migrate in the fall than the spring (due to the hatches during the spring/summer). Kenn notes that due to the foliage, the duller plumage, and lack of singing, that birding is much harder in the fall — and thus to some a welcome challenge, and to others — a “forget about it” time for birding. I’m going to take a hard try at picking out the warblers as they come through but I already know it’s going to be frustrating.