Western or Scarlet?

Ken Thompson sent me this picture with the following comment: "We had this tanager yesterday and discussed it and after other input concluded Scarlet tanager; a similar situation to yours in today's post".

Today I saw a yellow(ish) bird with gray wings and two white wingbars which I concluded was a young Baltimore Oriole. Was it the same as yesterday's bird? Probably not but I didn't have great views of either one.

I was up before dawn and was able to admire the clear skies (the constellation Orion was front and center, a sure indication of the changing seasons) and, a little later, a clear early sunrise. The tide was low and I reached the open water just before the sun began to peek over the trees on Pine Neck. No rails to be seen but there were three sparrows working the grass and mud at the far end. They were clearly not marsh sparrows (Saltmarsh or Seaside) and not Swamp or White-throated Sparrows either. They resembled Song Sparrows but with the striping abruptly cut off and a very white belly below (no breast spot visible). They also had clearly yellow legs (Songs tend to be pinkish), white throats and gave the impression of having eyerings. I thought they were three Lincoln's Sparrows which is more of these birds than I have seen in toto on the place over the years!

There were a few Swamp, Chipping and Song Sparrows elsewhere and I could hear White-throats singing their inimitable melodies. Other than sparrows, the dominant birds were again Goldfinches with a few House Finches in the mix. Almost all the Catbirds and Robins seemed to have left the premises and I didn't see or hear a single Flicker. One oddity: I tracked a calling nuthatch and I am almost certain that it was a Red-breasted not a White-breasted.

Mushroom of the day: Coprinus (or Coprinellus) micaceus. This one of the Inky Caps which deliquesce (i.e.self-digest) into a black inky mess. These mushrooms also have the reputation of causing problems if ingested with alcohol. Not sure if this applies to this particular Inky Cap species but I do not intend to find out.

Eric Salzman