Sounds of the times

As we move from winter to spring and summer, the trees and bushes start up their photosynthesis machinery again. While great at providing shade for the tired birder, leaves are also super at hiding everything we want to see! At our recent Birding101 outings and Field Trips, we’ve been talking about the benefits of birding by ear.

Red-eyed Vireo mid-song.

November Challenge

The simple act of seeing and recognizing a bird in your backyard carries with it a long- and somewhat unappreciated- history of natural observation. What do you notice when you see a Northern Cardinal? How do you recognize it? Is it the ornamental red of the males? Or the claxon orange beak contrasted against the soft brown of the females? Maybe it’s not with your eyes but your ears… the dawn song of these ubiquitous backyard companions is comfortingly familiar to backyards across the eastern US.

Sparrows! Part2

Sparrows! Cont'd.

For Sparrows! Part1, See HERE

MARKINGS

So, you’re going to half to break down and learn the parts of the bird… and I don’t mean just head, legs and wings! There are some specific parts to look at when you see an LBJ in the bushes or on the ground. You’ll need to learn a few new words so we’re all talking about the same thing. These will get you started:

Crown, Supercillium, Eye-line, Eye-ring, Lore, Cheek, Mustatial Stripe, Sub-mustatial Stripe, Malar Stripe, Throat, and Chest.

In the front of every bird guide, there should be some sketches like the one below pointing out all of these same things. Live it, learn it, love it. It will make these sparrows much less problematic!

Important parts of a sparrow

Sparrows! Part1

Ok, so I know I promised some sparrow ID challenges before our adventure to Washington on the Brazos this weekend, but before I get to that, I wanted to cover some of the basics about sparrows.

Despite their reputation for being boring, drab, brown stinkers that all look the same, sparrows have a fantastic variety of earth-tones and patterns. As a matter of fact, we should be excited for sparrows!

• No one ever got warbler neck from looking at sparrows all day

• Sparrows are our hearty winter buddies- they don’t go on vacation to the tropics when the weather cools down - they come and visit us!

• Gives you a better appreciation for all of the different shades of brown

• Makes you think about patterns, not just splotches of color

• They aren’t gaudy, like warblers

• At least they aren’t gulls!

Factors to consider when looking at a little brown job:

Habitat: Where are you? In a field? Near a swamp? Your suburban backyard? Your location can help narrow down the likely suspects.

Markings: Streaky or plain chest? Eye-line? Eye-ring? Crown? Cheek color or malar stripe? Any color on the lores? What about the color of bill and legs?

Behavior: Is it foraging along the ground? Is it in a big flock? Hopping or running? Does it flush to a tree branch or brush? Or does it duck into clumps of grass after it flies?

For the purpose of this crash course, we will stick with the Central Brazos Valley and we’ll talk

primarily about the sparrows we find here in winter. I’ve omitted some of the more vexing or less

common species in favor of ones you are more likely to bump into while walking through a park

or driving through an agricultural area.

The list: Chipping, Savannah, Field, Song, Swamp, Lincoln's, White-throated, White-crowned, Vesper, and Lark