Nature Note #152: Foxy, Foxy
Fox Sparrows (Passerella iliaca) are big birds both structurally and in terms of how little I get to see them. I got to see one briefly in a tangle of twigs and leaves while I was walking the trails of Beaver Lake this afternoon. I was partially trying to get away from the city for a bit, while also trying to figure out what to write about. As I wandered, I wondered and as I wondered, I worried. I worried about not consistently updating my blog twice a month and what that would mean for my two regular readers (three if I'm lucky!) I worried about my writing skills not improving and that I might not be getting anywhere.
After a worryingly indeterminate amount of time, I noticed I was just was walking along a trail towards god knows where so I doubled back and headed up the Bog Trail. At a little over half a mile, the trail snaked into a boardwalk that headed out over a maple bog and out along the pond. As I walked along, I could hear the jingling calls of White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) in the nearby underbrush as they scratched about for hidden seeds and insects. Geese cried out perpetually into the pinkening sky and a cold breeze reminded me of the sudden change in the season's mood. It was very apparent that fall was transitioning to winter. Just the other day, snow spat from the sky and a brisk 38 degrees reminded me that I wasn't in Massachusetts anymore.
After walking towards a large twiggy bush, I saw the rustling forms of three small birds deep in the tangles. I pished into the bush, hoping to coax those small birds out in order to make a cursory observation. The sun was making things difficult by shining directly behind the twigs, casting everything into silhouette. Fortunately, my pishing paid off. Immediately a snitch-sized bird popped onto a branch a few feet from me. A white eye-ring and wingbars pointed to a curious Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula). Further back, I spied two darker, streakier birds.
My heart paused. Fearing I was looking at an ordinary Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia), I begged my blurry camera shots to reveal the true identity of one of them. Heavy breast streaking combined with a dark head and back. Moving slightly to the right, I clicked twice.
Success at last! The only good photos I got of this bird neatly show off the heavy streaking and dark plumage that characterize this large sparrow. While not as bulky as towhees, Fox Sparrows are larger than Song Sparrows (generally speaking) and usually hang out in brushy tangles that make photos like these all the more rewarding.
So called because of their reddish-brown plumage, they like the mammal they are named for can be variable. Since foxes can come in cross and silver, Fox Sparrows come in four different regional morphs: Sooty, Big-billed, Slate, and Red. Fortunately for us easterners, we only need to recognize the one and I was lucky enough to get to share some tome with one, this brisk fall afternoon.
After a worryingly indeterminate amount of time, I noticed I was just was walking along a trail towards god knows where so I doubled back and headed up the Bog Trail. At a little over half a mile, the trail snaked into a boardwalk that headed out over a maple bog and out along the pond. As I walked along, I could hear the jingling calls of White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) in the nearby underbrush as they scratched about for hidden seeds and insects. Geese cried out perpetually into the pinkening sky and a cold breeze reminded me of the sudden change in the season's mood. It was very apparent that fall was transitioning to winter. Just the other day, snow spat from the sky and a brisk 38 degrees reminded me that I wasn't in Massachusetts anymore.
After walking towards a large twiggy bush, I saw the rustling forms of three small birds deep in the tangles. I pished into the bush, hoping to coax those small birds out in order to make a cursory observation. The sun was making things difficult by shining directly behind the twigs, casting everything into silhouette. Fortunately, my pishing paid off. Immediately a snitch-sized bird popped onto a branch a few feet from me. A white eye-ring and wingbars pointed to a curious Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula). Further back, I spied two darker, streakier birds.
My heart paused. Fearing I was looking at an ordinary Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia), I begged my blurry camera shots to reveal the true identity of one of them. Heavy breast streaking combined with a dark head and back. Moving slightly to the right, I clicked twice.
Success at last! The only good photos I got of this bird neatly show off the heavy streaking and dark plumage that characterize this large sparrow. While not as bulky as towhees, Fox Sparrows are larger than Song Sparrows (generally speaking) and usually hang out in brushy tangles that make photos like these all the more rewarding.
So called because of their reddish-brown plumage, they like the mammal they are named for can be variable. Since foxes can come in cross and silver, Fox Sparrows come in four different regional morphs: Sooty, Big-billed, Slate, and Red. Fortunately for us easterners, we only need to recognize the one and I was lucky enough to get to share some tome with one, this brisk fall afternoon.
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