Savannah Sparrow
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Posted by Trey Mitchell on 12:56:46 01/07/06
Early this morning Toe and I headed to ENP to look for nightjars, owls and
rails. We didn't have any luck with nightjars or owls, but we did hear King
Rails at Hidden Lake. We also heard a call we didn't recognize many times. The
birds were flying over the marsh area and Toe got a look at it silhouette. It
was small with fast wing beats making a very distinct call.
Later, Toe ran into Larry Manfredi and described the bird. Larry suggested it
may be Wilson's Snipe. I just checked the call of a Wilson's Snipe and sure
enough that was it.
We met the TAS walk being led by Rock Jetty, several other TAS regulars and
quite a few people I hadn't seen before. They were at Lucky Hammock looking at
raptors and a few Sandhill Cranes on the west side of the hammock. A Swainson's
Hawk flew over the hammock and perched in a tree on the east side of the road.
We got good looks, but I wanted good photos. I walked around to the eastern most
side of the brush near the sparrow bush and found Savannah and Grasshopper
Sparrows while taking my pictures.
The rest of the gang followed shortly after. Soon, John Boyd and Brian Rapoza
spotted a sparrow with a white eye ring. I believe it was determined that it was
a Vesper Sparrow.
I had to leave the group at 8:30 for a meeting, but had a great time in the
40 deg. weather looking for our fine feathered friends.
On my way to the meeting I stopped to look for the Scissor-tailed Flycatchers
and Western Kingbirds at Larry's spot at 212th Ave and 312th Street. But only
saw a Shrike. At Homestead Airport I saw one Burrowing Owl really far off in the
distance and just past the airport I saw one Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on a
fence.
Pretty "Cool" morning.
Savannah Sparrow
Swainson's Hawk
Vesper Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Kestrel
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