A Strange Song

Friday (3/2/12), I heard a strange yet vaguely familiar bird song as I walked down the boardwalk into the Wetlands. The song was coming from the slope to my right as I descended the first leg of the walkway.

Many birds are in song at this time, certainly cardinals, chickadees, towhees, Pine Warblers, and Song Sparrows among others. But this was different, it wasn’t a local. It was probably some winter resident gearing up for when it arrives on its home breeding turf farther north.

White-throated Sparrows and Ruby-crowned Kinglets are well know for tuning up on the wintering grounds before heading north, but this was neither. The song was too sweet for a kinglet and too cheerful for a white-throat.

And then it hit me, it’s a Fox Sparrow! I didn’t have my bins on me at the time but I could make out two or three large sparrows kicking and scratching in the leaf liter to the right. The light was subdued but I could see the rust-brown and gray back of the birds and when one of them flew off  I saw heavy streaking on its breast and flanks. No doubt about it, Fox Sparrow.

A Fox Sparrow just off the path at the top of the boardwalk (1/4/11).

Fox Sparrows don’t nest in our area but in boreal forests far to the north. I usually see one or two at some point each winter here at the Museum, and its always in the area between the top of the boardwalk and the Dinosaur Trail.

I don’t know how long the birds will keep up their singing (I heard them again this morning), but listen for them as you start your journey down through Explore the Wild or out to Catch the Wind. The song will surely bring a bit of cheer to a gray, rainy day, as it did this morning.

Enjoy!

4 responses to A Strange Song

  1. Kristin says:

    I didn’t see the Fox Sparrows today but I did see two Field Sparrows (which I have never seen before) and a female Northern Flicker. I also saw a couple Golden Crowned Kinglets. It was an exciting Sunday!

    • Greg Dodge says:

      Good, glad you saw the Field Sparrows. I’ve been seeing them off and on all winter. By the way, I saw the first Red-winged Blackbird last week at the same location we usually see them, next to the Main Wetlands Overlook, a male.
      Keep your eye out for Ospreys, been seeing reports of them all over our area. Although we don’t have exactly what they’re looking for here in our little wetland we should at least see a fly-over or two.
      Springtime!

    • Greg Dodge says:

      I did see him, about three weeks ago, but not since. I’m not sure if it was the same bird though, but it was in the same location as the one last year, could’ve been Baldy Jr.

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