Buntings and New World Sparrows

Savannah Sparrow - Boundary Bay, BC A sure sign of spring is the trilly voice of the Savannah sparrow coming from somewhere close to the ground or a fence post highest. One of the places that we see a good many of these sparrows is our coastal dunes or dykes. This bird was photographed on Boundary Bay, named for the US-Canadian border that runs through the middle of it. For the rest of the year, a quick glimpse is usually all you get while they check pathways and roadsides for seeds. Michael W Klotz 2022 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Savannah Sparrow - Boundary Bay, BC
Clay-colored Sparrow - Spanish Banks Beach, BC We occasionally get rare sparrows that stop by during migration. This little gray collared fellow was in late in the season, making himself comfortable with a mixed flock of Savanah's, Golden-crowned, White-crowned sparrows and Dark-eyed Junco down at Spanish Banks Beach. Clay-colored sparrows can be found in the eastern interior of BC, but rarely ever summer here in the Vancouver area. Most will head south to Mexico on the east side of the Rocky Mountains. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Clay-colored Sparrow - Spanish Banks Beach, BC
American Tree Sparrow - Surrey Lake, BC One of the smaller sparrows that visit for the winter here in Vancouver. This little guy is identified by the lightness of the overall bird with a rusty eyeline and crown, clean chest and the clean spot mid chest. This bird and a partner were found on a bird count for IBA (Important Bird Area) BC017 or Boundary Bay - Roberts Bank- Sturgeon Bank. They were down a bit of a dyke towards the Serpentine River. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
American Tree Sparrow - Surrey Lake, BC
Catching the last of the sun on a late winter morning this White-crowned sparrow was perched in a crabapple tree just off a dyke on Boundary Bay. I was surprised to see how long the fruit lasted over the winter on this tree. Most of the birds here prefer the native Pacific Crabapple which is substantially smaller than this imported variety. Something I just learned about these birds is they can stay awake for up to two weeks at a time during migration!! Eating during the day as a preference and flying up to 300 miles a night. Picture
White-crowned Sparrow - Boundary Bay, BC
Lark Sparrow - Chopka, BC One of the hottest places in Canada is the road that leads to the Nighthawk Border Crossing from British Columbia to Washington State. Along this road you can find birds found no where else in the province due to its desert climate and sagebrush habitat. The Lark Sparrow is one of those birds that live in this very specific area. This was part of a pair busily collecting insects, mostly grasshoppers, for the young hidden away near a pile of granite boulders. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Lark Sparrow - Chopka, BC
Chipping Sparrow - Anarchist Mountain, BC East of Osoyoos the climb to the top of Anarchist Mountain is a steep and windy trek with the landscape and the birds changing quickly. The main draw is the fancy Williamson's Sapsucker at the top. We didn't get to see the mostly black bird, but there were plenty others including this Chipping Sparrow. These birds sound more like a grasshopper or cicada with the trilly high pitched song. Michael W Klotz 2020 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Chipping Sparrow - Anarchist Mountain, BC
Lark Bunting - Ballyneal Golf Club, CO A dramatic transformation happens in the fall for these birds. The Lark bunting in the breeding season is an exercise in contrast with the jet black body and white wing patches which is completely different from the fall, when the bird turns the color of the fields it feeds in and stays that way for the winter. The one give away for this bird is the white wing patch along the folded wing and a white throat. Lark bunting require windswept fields to nest in the summer and winter in along the US-Mexico border and midway down into central Mexico. Michael W Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Lark Bunting - Ballyneal Golf Club, CO
Fox Sparrow - Reifel Bird Sanctuary One of the things I could never understand is why these birds were called Fox Sparrows. That is until I saw what the East coast birds looked like. Our west coast birds, like many other year round residents here are
Fox Sparrow - Reifel Bird Sanctuary, BC
Savannah Sparrow - Tsawwassen Ferry Jetty, BC Long light, drift wood and a thoughtful Savannah Sparrow make for a good shot one spring evening along the ferry jetty out of Tsawwassen. We have these little yellow-browed sparrows year round along the coast but this was taken in April during migration for these guys. A good deal of grassland birds travel up the coast and find spits of land to refuel their stomachs on their way north. The Jetty is a great place to find unusual migrants. Michael W Klotz 2020 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Savannah Sparrow - Tsawwassen Ferry Jetty, BC
California Towhee - Silverado, CA California Towhees are not a very colorful bird, but they are quite interesting to watch. They are very inquisitive and I remember when I lived in California there would be many times I would come out to my car to find the local checking himself out in the mirror. There are 8 species of towhee that are spread throughout North America, with two being endemic to Mexico and are found with in the sparrow family. I have found that they are usually found in pairs and low to the ground in dryer conditions. This bird was making its way around with a second in the dry river bed opposite the Silverado Community Center. Michael W Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
California Towhee - Silverado, CA
Dark-eyed Junco - Gila Hotsprings, NM This was near Gila Hot springs and closer to the cave dwellings. Wintering in the southern climates and headed back to the north soon enough. These juncos are very closely related to the rest of the different colored juncos around North America.. There is only one Junco that is not, called the Yellow-eyed Junco where the rest are called Dark-eyed Juncos. Michael W Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Dark-eyed Junco - Gila Hotsprings, NM
Gray-headed Dark-eyed Junco - Santa Rita Lodge, AZ We have two flavors of Junco where I am from, the Slate-colored and Oregon. In Arizona there are a whole bunch more, including the other species called a Yellow-eyed Junco. This Gray-headed version of the Dark-eyed Junco is the closest you can come to the Yellow-eye species. It is almost identical in every way except, you guessed it, having yellow eyes. Here is a great article that talks about the different species and their ranges. Michael W Klotz 2006 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Gray-headed Dark-eyed Junco - Santa Rita Lodge, AZ