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A couple of weeks ago I watched and photographed a young House Sparrow getting fed by its mother. I also watched, but failed to get pictures of, the same young bird being fed by two different male House Sparrows. This post was first published in June 2008, but we’re sharing this tender moment to celebrate World Sparrow Day !)
This is a chance to recharge out batteries, spend a little quite time together and try to get in a whole bunch of birding done. This was a real bonus spot last year, especially with migratory sparrows. The biggest surprise this year was the large number of Black-throated Sparrows. Then, I try to you avoid the bad parts.
Two more sparrows on the macadam ahead of me… In my early birding days, I would simply assume that they are sparrows, possibly not even taking another look at them, but now I am too old to be so naive.
But, as I detailed last week , that drive to the Pacific Coast was a rather spectacular failure, because of a highly unseasonal rain, and my failure to recharge my camera battery. But this time, it would be in the afternoon, with strong winds and brilliant sunshine… and a full camera battery. White-crowned Sparrow.
I dropped my meager box of baby supplies off and stopped to chat to the two volunteers who were already helping people who had stopped in looking for warm clothing, batteries, and a sympathetic ear. Also, we saw a Blue Grosbeak , some Fox Sparrows , and both species of kinglets. I have never seen Evening Grosbeaks in Queens.
The Song Sparrows were wet. And the White-crowned Sparrows were very, very wet. I had thought that my camera use on two previous neighborhood outings was not enough to demand recharging its battery. I’m fond of photos of birds in a visible mist or drizzle. But these ones looked almost as bedraggled as I did. I was wrong.
1PM – Clare: Cameras with AA Batteries are the Best. 7PM – Jochen: Spring Sparrows are Way Cooler than Spring Warblers. We are more refined, merely enjoying invasive species, thinking extinct birds are gone and you should get over it, and that those who like to watch gulls probably have a screw or two loose.
1PM – Clare: Cameras with AA Batteries are the Best. 7PM – Jochen: Spring Sparrows are Way Cooler than Spring Warblers. If you managed to miss anything during our week of belligerence and strong opinions here’s your chance to go back and click on some wonderful posts! 7AM – Intro Post. 1PM – Meredith: Bald Eagles are Tools.
The Cornell team is no doubt having a fantastic day of birding up there in beautiful spring Colorado while they identify Cassin’s Sparrow, Prairie Falcon, Lazuli Bunting , and other western birds in some of the same places I surveyed in 1997 and 2001.
Where do you charge your batteries in Namibia’s Kaokoveld during a longer trip away from lodges and hotels? Where is your internet access along the upper reaches of the Rio Negro? How do you operate a tiny touch screen in -13°F with your numb fingers stuck in thick gloves?
That, and 10 days back on the way was going to be a great to recharge the batteries after a long round-the-world trip. My wife and I have had our boat up in that area many times, and I knew that there would be a good shot to add a few new birds from the far northwest end of the US. Our next stop was at Stewart Island, in Reid Harbor.
As always, we were high above the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, perched precariously on the platform atop Battery Harris, the old artillery battery built to defend New York Harbor in World War II. Lisa Scheppke arrived and we slowly added birds as they woke up: White-throated Sparrow , Eastern Towhee , Gray Catbird and more.
I should say trying to start my car because the battery had died overnight and it would not start. It was nice to see two “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrows on the walk back to my car though. “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis princeps. The guillemot never showed.
We chose the Battery Harris Platform at Fort Tilden, along the barrier beaches of the Rockaway Pensinsula in Queens, because it affords a great view of both the bay and the ocean, as well as a wide expanse of dune scrub habitat. It’s not every day that you get 64 species in Queens before House Sparrow ! Ospreys are awesome.
Hiking For The Heck of It Reason To Become a Bird Watcher #1: No Batteries Required Welcome Wednesday: Musings on a Big Year About the Author James A life-long birder and native of South Africa, James Currie has many years experience in the birding and wildlife tourism arenas. These Blasts From The Past What’s In A Name?
We had persevered through four years at the top of Battery Harris Platform and could bring our experience to bear on the task of trying to record as many species as possible on a single day from that single spot. We were running low on birds we thought possible with House Sparrow and Downy Woodpecker being two of the easiest left.
At five-forty-five Sunday morning I started the eBird checklist while perched atop the Battery Harris Platform at Fort Tilden. Using this trick we added Field Sparrow (new to the list!) and Lincoln’s Sparrow. It was the sixth year in a row of the Queens County Bird Club Big Sit, my favorite event of the year.
As always, we held our sit high atop Battery Harris at Fort Tilden on the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. Eastern Towhee “che-winking,” Northern Cardinals with their sharp chip note, a White-throated Sparrow singing twice, American Robins “tut-tut-tutting,” and on the morning went. Hope to see you out there!
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