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Posted by Carlos Sanchez on 17:46:01 03/09/13
The TAS walk at the C-357 Sparrow Fields and Chekika started off at 7AM with brisk, sunny weather, with temperatures hovering in the low 50s.
As the group assembled, one of the first birds seen was a WESTERN KINGBIRD flycatching in the taller grass and cypress trees near the entrance -- presumably a passage migrant individual and not one that wintered here. Next up, a pair of WHITE-TAILED KITES perched obligingly in the distance on a dead tree for distant scope views. One individual would later give the group a close flyby.
As we walked along the berm towards the site where most of the sparrow activity has been this year, we noted large numbers of both GRASSHOPPER and SAVANNAH SPARROW. The 'sparrowy' section of the berm yielded multiple CLAY-COLORED and LINCOLN'S SPARROW. One person saw a SWAMP SPARROW. Also of note were singing EASTERN TOWHEE and good numbers of INDIGO BUNTING, some of them almost in their luminous blue plumage for the upcoming breeding season. The biggest surprise was a BARN OWL flying in broad daylight as we were walking out -- a first for many of the group!
Chekika at around 10AM was fairly quiet by contrast. The walk wrapped up with a lone BARN SWALLOW leisurely wielding over the parking lot at Chekika.
Thank you everyone for coming!
Carlos
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