K-3 with DA*60-250 + F1.7x AF Adapter (425mm)

The "old" sparrows, I'm getting tired of these guys. although I saw no Fox Sparrows today, they may have headed north. I saw two together for the first time yesterday. Today they're gone. Maybe they hook up and head north together.

Fox Sparrow


All the "regulars" were there.

American Tree Sparrow


White Throated Sparrow


Dark Eyed Junco


New today. I photographed it because it acted a little different than the American Tree Sparrows, which is what I thought it was. It took comparing photos to see the difference precisely. American Tree Sparrow were the bird I intended to concentrate on today. He not only chases them away, he took the moment in the norm head sun away from them.
a couple of Chipping Sparrows







You have to admit, it looks like an American Tree Sparrow, except tiny bit bigger and more aggressive, although it seems to me it's often the hungriest birds that are the most aggressive. I've often seen an aggressive bird run the other birds off a feeder, pig out for 5 minutes and then get run off by another bird. So maybe it's just more aggressive because it's the latest arrival and needs to refuel. That being said, nothing messes with the Fox Sparrows, they aren't aggressive, but they hold their ground against whatever bird comes at them.

[pete-tarmigan]

Black Eyed Junco

Dark-eyed Junco.

[normhead]

Dark-eyed Junco.

Fixed... you can't get away with nuthin around here.

[slowpez]

Another nice set Norm. Have you moved permanently into your blind?

[TER-OR]

Very cool. I have spotted a fox sparrow in the yard years ago, I got some not-great shots of it.

The chipping sparrows have started to return here, so it's officially spring! I like those little guys.

[normhead]

Another nice set Norm. Have you moved permanently into your blind?

I'm looking for a roomy... you interested?

Very cool. I have spotted a fox sparrow in the yard years ago, I got some not-great shots of it.

The chipping sparrows have started to return here, so it's officially spring! I like those little guys.

It's finally starting to feel like spring, a bit, but we are still really cold for this time of year.

[joip]

:

Maybe they hook up and head north together.

Maybe they're on a "blind" date

[normhead]

Neither of them looked to be blind... but who knows?

[daacon]

Spot on Norm - great shots.

[normhead]

Thanks daacon

[Heinrich Lohmann]

That is a good assortment of sparrows Norm (plus a junco), and as always, well photographed.

[normhead]

That is a good assortment of sparrows Norm (plus a junco), and as always, well photographed.

My bird book seems to favour the idea that Junco's are sparrows. Since they flock with the sparrows, hop around with the sparrows, eat what the sparrows eat, and forage like the sparrow, I assume they are pretty much sparrows. The Blackbirds are pretty distinct, Wedwinged Blackbirds and Grackles, and flock together, and the finches have their own behaviours, as do the Jays, crows and ravens. So I have a few other varieties to compare them with. To my mind, they are definitely sparrows.

[TER-OR]

Blackbirds and grackles are icterids. I like grackles, they're always eating insects in the grass.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icterid

Maybe I'll be able to get some shots of bobolinks this year if I bring a longer lens when I'm doing insect surveys.

Juncos are in the sparrow group. We still have a few around, I suspect not for much longer despite this cool spring.

[normhead]

Our white throated will be here all summer. but they are all over all of Canada as far as I can tell.

[TER-OR]

The white-throated, white crowned etc. will winter here if the weather isn't too bad. If there's too much snow cover they just keep going farther south. I enjoy seeing them stop in the yard for a few days, they're hard to miss! We get the Field, Tree, Savannah and other sparrows mating here. Plus cool ones like Dicksissels, who keep a close eye on me in the prairie.