Tag: Harris’s Sparrow

Little Brown Birds

by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites, rarities

harris's sparrowI took my Little Brown Birds class to Sauvie Island. The sparrow flock along Rentenaar Road is thinning out, but all the expected species are still there. For the third year in a row, the star of the day was a Harris’s Sparrow. There is a White-throated and a Golden-crowned Sparrow in the background.

harris's and golden-crownedHarris’s Sparrow with Golden-crowned Sparrows

fox sparrowFox Sparrow

sparrow mixA sparrow mix of White-crowned, Golden-crowned, and Song Sparrow, along with a Red-winged Blackbird

red-wingRed-winged Blackbird, surrounded by Golden-crowned Sparrows and a White-crowned in the background

white-throatedOne of four White-throated Sparrows that came to our seed slick

spotted towhee 2Spotted Towhee

 

Rentenaar Road, Sauvie Island

by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites, rarities

white-throated sparrowRentenaar Road, on Sauvie Island, is one of the better sparrow patches in the Portland area. I found ten species this morning, about typical for this time of year. This boldly patterned White-throated Sparrow was one of the prettier ones.

dark-eyed juncoDark-eyed Junco

golden-crowned sparrowGolden-crowned Sparrows are the most common sparrows along this stretch of road.

lincoln's sparrowLincoln’s Sparrow, one of my favorites and one of the hardest to photograph

song sparrowSong Sparrow

white-crowned sparrowWhite-crowned Sparrow

spotted towheeSpotted Towhee with two Golden-crowned Sparrows

harris's frontThe rarest bird of the day was this Harris’s Sparrow. This is the third winter in a row that a Harris’s (perhaps the same bird) has been wintering at this location.

harris's and golden-crownedHarris’s Sparrow with Golden-crowns

harris's and white-crownedHarris’s with White-crowned

harris's and white-throatedand finally, the Harris’s with a tan-morph White-throated Sparrow in the background. It’s nice that this visitor from the Great Plains gets along with everyone.

robinWhile certainly not a sparrow, this American Robin was just begging to be photographed, so here you go.