Tag: Song Sparrow

Random Songbirds

by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites, species profile

Here are a few images from Fernhill Wetlands (Birding Oregon p. 61) on July 30, 2010. Songbirds push the limits of a point-and-shoot camera, but occasionally a bird will be close enough and stationary enough to allow a decent portrait.


Cedar Waxwings were flycatching from the brushy edges of the ponds.


This Song Sparrow was going through an extensive molt. He lacked most of his tail, and his body plumage is very disheveled.


Brown-headed Cowbird. The scaly pattern on the scapulars and wing coverts identifies this bird as a juvenile.

Sparrows

by John Rakestraw, posted in identification challenges, OR Birding Sites

I am revving up for my Little Brown Birds class next month, so I spent some time with the sparrow flocks on Sauvie Island (Birding Oregon p.57). A walk down Rentenaar Road revealed five species, three of which sat still long enough to be photographed.

white-crowned
White-crowned Sparrows stand out with their bold head pattern.

white-crownedjuv
Immature White-crowned Sparrows have the same pattern as the adults, but in brown and buff instead of black and white.

golden-crowned
Two Golden-crowned Sparrows, immature on the left, adult on the right
song
This Song Sparrow was feeding right at my feet, but insisted on staying in my shadow, thus messing up the lighting in the photo.

peregrine
This Peregrine Falcon wasn’t much of a threat to the sparrows, but he did make the shorebirds and waterfowl nervous.