Add to the list of Weesuck Creek birds: LINCOLN'S SPARROW!
The big flocks of birds present since the beginning of the month (Yellow-rumped Warblers, American Goldfinch, Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Swamp and Song Sparrows) are scattered all through the shrub layer at the marsh edge and into the area of mixed Iva, Baccharis and Phragmites. The big attraction for these birds are the seeds and berries of all these plants. The Golden-crowned Kinglets are here too, often feeding out in the mixed Phragmites/Baccharis zone, but as far as I can determine, they are picking off tiny insects and not eating seeds like the others.
It was another very birdy morning with the Lincoln's Sparrow appearing only at the very end of some extended bursts of activity. As I was rounding the corner to head back to the house, a sparrow popped up to the top of a bush. I glanced at it sideways. Oh, I thought, another Swamp Sparrow. Except that Swamp Sparrows don't have neat, dark streaks on the breast. Like a Swamp Sparrow, this was a smallish bird with a noticeably small bill, a broad gray eyebrow and a touch of an eye-ring. But it had strong streaking on the back as well as the front and at least a touch of buffy under thosee breast streaks (not as strongly colored as shown in the books but enough to contrast with the white -- not grayish -- underparts). This is a new bird for the property, #235 according to my best count to date!
There were lots of other birds in the vicinity. After have gone missing for a couple of days, Eastern Phoebes and Palm Warblers reappeared along with both nuthatches and a beautiful Nashville Warbler hunting below eye level.
Eric Salzman
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