Tweets,
I went out to PNP this morning to check on the Fox Sparrow that
Bob Sundstrom talked about yesterday. I viewed the bird for several minutes
with Brian Bell and we agreed that it had a redish tinge (that was noticable
when the bird was foraging) to the subscapular and tertial areas. Consulting
the book; " "Sparrows and Buntings" by Byers, Curson and Olsson (a guide to
the Sparrows and Buntings of North america and the World), it appeared to
belong to the North pacific coast group, "unalaschcensis". The bird was
certainly different from the typical Fox Sparrows I am used to seeing in my
yard during the Winter which are a dark, sooty, brown color.
Also of interest there were about 300 Bonaparte"s Gulls just
offshore, 2 Western Grebes, a Horned grebe in breeding plumage, I Brandt's
Cormorant, and 12 Golden-crowned Sparrows ( were with the Fox Sparrow).
Good birding,
Doug Watkins
dougnpip at aol.com
Bainbridge Is Wa