Subject: [Tweeters] RE: suggestions for what did I just see at my birdfeeder?
Date: Jan 17 15:56:57 2010
From: Jennifer Wallin - jennifer_m_wallin at hotmail.com



Hi Everyone,



I got many responses and the unanimous suggestion was Pine Siskin. The size looks right but the one I saw seemed fairly pale compared to what is in the picture in my NatGeo Field Guide to Birds of N. America. My copy of Sibley is at work as my coworkers borrowed it for the bird survey last week. The Sibley might show more color variations. I'm going to put out some more seeds - all the visitors I had today wiped out what was out there. I have tomorrow off so I'll keep an eye out for this little bird again. If it's a siskin, then that is a new bird for my life list. :) Thanks!



Jennifer



From: jennifer_m_wallin at hotmail.com
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: what did I just see at my birdfeeder? (jennifer_m_wallin at hotmail.com)
Date: Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:29:16 -0500



Hi Tweeters,

Today I had lots of birds at my front yard feeder in NE Bellevue. The usual suspects were there: English sparrows, Spotted Towhee, Juncos, possibly a golden-crowned sparrow, and squirrels. I also saw what looked to be the smallest sparrow I've ever seen. It landed in my rose bush right next to the English sparrows and was considerably smaller and slimmer. I didn't get a good look at the beak but my first impression was that it was another sparrow but just really small. I didn't notice eyebrows or specific markings on the crown. It was very streaked with different shades of brown and was lighter over all than an English sparrow. The streaks were not limited to the sides but were also present on the breast.

Could what I have seen been a juvenile Chipping sparrow? My bird seemed lighter than that but the streaking pattern was similar. It didn't have the greys of a fox sparrow or adult chipping sparrow. Vesper sparrow is light but maybe too big to have been this bird. Too small to be a Cassin's finch (do they ever occur on this side of the Cascades?)? How large are juveniles in comparison to adults, if your bird guide gives a measurement value?

Thanks for your help!

Jennifer Wallin
Bellevue, WA



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