My First Proper Lincoln's
October 2nd, 2016
On September 19th, an honorary lifer at the Goulbourn Sparrow Field! This spot--actually just a weedy hydro cut near the Trans-Canada Trail--was discovered recently by Jon Ruddy as being a motherload of migrant sparrows. It's the kind of spot (small, choked with non-native weeds, bordered by recent housing developments) that you might look at and instantly dismiss as having any potential for nature-watching, but birds are sometimes less picky than we expect, at least in migration. Weedy patches, suburban back yards, and puddles in snow dumps can be as worth exploring as pristine forests and wetlands.
Lincoln's Sparrow has always been one of my nemesis birds. It's a bashful little sparrow that nests on the ground in bogs. Field marks include thin streaking on buffy-tinted breast and flanks. Ottawa has one known breeding population in Mer Bleue bog, but I've never seen one there or even heard one singing. In fact my only sighting ever was a brief, unsatisfying view at Point Pelee, identified for me buy the trip leader. So when Jon dropped me a text to let me know Lincoln's Sparrows had arrived at the sparrow field, I made plans to head out there in the early morning as soon as I could.
Nemesis bird no more! Ottawa first. Also Ottawa second, Ottawa third, Ottawa fourth, Ottawa fifth...The first one I saw was along the Trans-Canada Trail itself, feeding in a bushy tree loaded with berry vines. It wasn't quite sunrise yet. From then until about 7:30, I just kept seeing them.
The Lincoln's mannerisms give it a sort of startled, delicate air, and a very different feel from the superficially similar Song Sparrow. As shown above, it has a habit of erecting its crown feathers into a little peak.
I could scarcely believe I had ever called Lincoln's Sparrow a nemesis bird. I pished and they came right out into the open. But then, with the sun properly up, many more sparrows flooded into the weeds and trees, and all the Lincoln's Sparrows just...melted away. They stopped appearing, stopped responding to pishes. Until then they were practically all I saw, now all I could see were the hordes of Song, Field, Chipping, and other common species. It was like they were allergic to sunlight. (This gave me an inkling as to why I've never seen or heard one at Mer Bleue. The bog parking lot doesn't open until well after sunrise in summer.)
An incredible morning. And now Jon is suggesting that Le Conte's Sparrow is a possibility there, which would be a not-merely-honorary lifer and a rarity in Ottawa. I'll be back.
October 2nd, 2016
On September 19th, an honorary lifer at the Goulbourn Sparrow Field! This spot--actually just a weedy hydro cut near the Trans-Canada Trail--was discovered recently by Jon Ruddy as being a motherload of migrant sparrows. It's the kind of spot (small, choked with non-native weeds, bordered by recent housing developments) that you might look at and instantly dismiss as having any potential for nature-watching, but birds are sometimes less picky than we expect, at least in migration. Weedy patches, suburban back yards, and puddles in snow dumps can be as worth exploring as pristine forests and wetlands.
Lincoln's Sparrow has always been one of my nemesis birds. It's a bashful little sparrow that nests on the ground in bogs. Field marks include thin streaking on buffy-tinted breast and flanks. Ottawa has one known breeding population in Mer Bleue bog, but I've never seen one there or even heard one singing. In fact my only sighting ever was a brief, unsatisfying view at Point Pelee, identified for me buy the trip leader. So when Jon dropped me a text to let me know Lincoln's Sparrows had arrived at the sparrow field, I made plans to head out there in the early morning as soon as I could.
Nemesis bird no more! Ottawa first. Also Ottawa second, Ottawa third, Ottawa fourth, Ottawa fifth...The first one I saw was along the Trans-Canada Trail itself, feeding in a bushy tree loaded with berry vines. It wasn't quite sunrise yet. From then until about 7:30, I just kept seeing them.
The Lincoln's mannerisms give it a sort of startled, delicate air, and a very different feel from the superficially similar Song Sparrow. As shown above, it has a habit of erecting its crown feathers into a little peak.
I could scarcely believe I had ever called Lincoln's Sparrow a nemesis bird. I pished and they came right out into the open. But then, with the sun properly up, many more sparrows flooded into the weeds and trees, and all the Lincoln's Sparrows just...melted away. They stopped appearing, stopped responding to pishes. Until then they were practically all I saw, now all I could see were the hordes of Song, Field, Chipping, and other common species. It was like they were allergic to sunlight. (This gave me an inkling as to why I've never seen or heard one at Mer Bleue. The bog parking lot doesn't open until well after sunrise in summer.)
An incredible morning. And now Jon is suggesting that Le Conte's Sparrow is a possibility there, which would be a not-merely-honorary lifer and a rarity in Ottawa. I'll be back.
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Mike
October 3rd, 2016 at 9:41 am
Congrats! Cute little guy!