I wonder if Jimi Hendrix was a birder?.....

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From BSBO, Kim writes: One of the best things about working for a bird observatory (my Dad used to call it the Bird Factory.... isn't that funny?!)... anyway, one of the best things about working for BSBO is, of course, the birds! Our office is nestled just along the southern edge of Magee Marsh, and WOW, we get some cool birds coming to our feeders and water garden.

Case in point, check out today's special guest.
Ka-POW!!

Aren't Fox Sparrows amazing? Like some fairy waved her magic wand and out pops a bird that's a combination of a Song Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, and Towhee. I'll never forget seeing my first one. I had been feeding and studying birds in my backyard for awhile, when late one fall I noticed a bird scratching on the ground and thought, Oh cool, a thrush! I grabbed the bins and was shocked to see that, no, it wasn't a thrush. It was some super-sized sparrow and it was rusty red, red, red, all over. It was a life bird for me, right there in my own backyard. I really love when that happens!

Gratuitous Fox Sparrow Photo

Here's another shot of the same bird. There have been two hanging around the feeders at BSBO for a couple of days now. Note the poor, sad looking American Goldfinch in the bottom left corner of the photo. Wouldn't it just suck to be a winter-plumaged goldfinch when the Fox Sparrows are around?

Comments

  1. Dawn FineDecember 9, 2008 at 8:19 AM

    That is one beautiful bird.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kimberly KaufmanDecember 9, 2008 at 8:35 AM

    I KNOW!! I hardly got any work done yesterday, because I kept running back and forth from my desk to our window on wildlife to see if they were still there.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousDecember 9, 2008 at 12:02 PM

    They are neat birds. I just saw my first Fox Sparrow the other day pecking around in the leaves below the feeder. That's #25 on my very short life list!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Kimberly KaufmanDecember 9, 2008 at 1:43 PM

    Congratulations, Mark! What a great bird to mark as #25!

    Remember, once you've had the joy of seeing a bird for the first time, the best way to capture that feeling again is to show the bird to a kid and enjoy their reaction!

    Can't wait to hear what #26 turns out to be!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousDecember 11, 2008 at 10:06 PM

    How about that "Chipper" looking up at his big cousin....

    ReplyDelete

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