A much more overcast, and consequently warmer, day than yesterday. I decided to spend a couple of hours at Marshlands. The bird feeders were very productive, with
Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Purple Finch, House Finch and
American Goldfinch all present, as well as several commoner species.
The shoreline was interesting, with
Belted Kingfisher and
Great Blue Heron both feeding, as well as over 50
American Black Duck in the marshy areas. The open water was mostly populated by
Bufflehead, with at least 63 birds present, though possibly many more.
The small swampy area near the car-park was the best spot however, with
Song, Marsh and White-
throated Sparrows all present. Best bird of all was an
American Tree Sparrow, seen just as I had to leave!
American Tree Sparrow. The key identification features visible in this photo are; the bicoloured bill (dark upper mandible and pale lower mandible), strong white wing-bar and the rufous eye-line. Not visible is the dark chest spot, which I didn't see.
The crown of this species is supposed to be largely rufous, while this has a clear broad pale crown-stripe, reminiscent of White-crowned Sparrow. Judging by a quick google search this is a variable feature, and while this bird is at the extreme end, it is within the range of possibilities.
One of 10
Wild Turkeys hanging around the information centre.
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