Thursday, December 18, 2014

Swamp Sparrows at Wharton Point

1. Swamp sparrow-kab Swamp Sparrow at Wharton’s Point 10-5-14

October 5, 2014: I must have hit the Swamp Sparrow migration just right at Wharton’s Point, for on the evening of October 5th I drove over to see what I could see at Maquoit Bay and there, mixed in with the Song and Savannah sparrows, were a couple of Swamp Sparrows. Swamp sparrows are known for their rusty cap, brown cheek, rusty primaries and tail feathers, gray face, and when seen in breeding plumage and good light, you can also see their yellow lores. Lores are tiny little feathers in front of their eyes between their eyes and beaks and many other birds are identified by the color of their lores. I love Swamp Sparrows, though they are seldom seen by most people. I use to find them at the Stirling Street Bog when I lived in Andover, MA. Finding them in Arizona was a bit harder, but it could be done and I found a few with my Birding Buddy, Chris Rohrer.  Since moving here I have seen them more often, including in my yard, but this evening was the most I had ever seen at one time!

2. golden-kab Of course, there was golden light on the bay as the sun went down.

3. song sparrow-kab A few Song Sparrows hung out in the scrub bushes.

4. swamp sparrow-kab The Swamp Sparrows liked to stay in the shadows.

5. swamp sparrow-kab But I still managed to get a few photos of them!

6. gulls-kab Gulls in Maquoit Bay.

7. gulls-kab Bonaparte’s Gulls

8. bald eagle-kab It’s not unusual to see Bald Eagles flying over the bay.

Wharton Point is one of my favorite places to bird, and since it is close by, I stop here frequently. Sometimes I am frustrated because the birds are so far out that I cannot identify them, but often they are close in and I can see and photograph them from land. This was a good day for birding Wharton Point.

9. swamp sparrow-kab Swamp Sparrow at Wharton’s Point 10-5-14

10 comments:

  1. Most excellent sparrow! Nicely done!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Swamp Sparrows, not a nice name for a nice looking bird Kathie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL, Roy! That is where they like to hang out! They are a pretty little bird.

      Delete
  3. You are lucky with your interesting Sparrows in the US. Apart from the Sparrows, I like the colours in the gull shots. How is your knee?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy Wanderer, my knee is much better. I am walking and driving, but I still have to be careful and I still don't have full range of motion. Thank you for asking!

      Delete
  4. It does look a pretty little birds. it is frustrating sometimes when birds are just out of camera shot or hiding in bushes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Margaret, yes it is, but that is just the nature of birding. Still, I get frustrated when I can't see a bird well enough to identify it!

      Delete
  5. Cute Sparrow, congrats on your sighting.. I will keep your Mom in my prayers!

    ReplyDelete

Welcome to my nest! I hope you will enjoy spending time here with me and the birds. Thank you for your comments. I will try to get back to you as soon as I get back from counting more birds.