LBJs - Addendum

The Little Brown Job exercises which began in early December are at an end. There are many sparrows and other confusing brown birds which were not included, mainly because I do not encounter them very often. As I have watched, and studied, the LBJs which are in my neighborhoods, I find that I have gradually been able to identify them quickly. It is a skill which transfers to new areas, and new birds. When encountering an LBJ in a different part of the country, I can quickly eliminate many birds which it is NOT. The field is narrowed, and ID with field guide help can come quite quickly.

LBJs are not a mystery, unless you convince yourself that they are impossible to ID.

For example, in January, 09, we were in southern Arizona. I saw an especially plain little sparrow with no distinguishing marks; it was not difficult to ID Brewer's Sparrow

Brewer's Sparrow - near Tuscon, AZ

Brewster's Sparrow in desert brushy areas in winter defines drab bird.

Sparrows do not often provide clear, unmistakable field marks. The Black-throated Sparrow is a delightful exception. This one was photographed at a bird feeder in Patagonia State Park, Arizona, in January, 09. (Young birds are a bit more LBJ than adults.)

Black-throated Sparrow - Patagonia, AZ.

Also seen near Patagonia State Park in Arizona were these Rufous-winged Sparrows. With these birds, we were back in the true LBJ category. The first impression was that of a small flock of Chipping Sparrows. These birds were in mesquite shrub; they were secretive. Their cap was not quite right for a chipping, and they have pronounced "whiskers." So even though I never really saw the rufous wing, I was able to tick a life bird.

Rufous-winged Sparrow - Patagonia, AZ

When you are going after a well camouflaged bird, it helps to have help. At the Rio Grande Birding Festival in November, 09, I went on a field trip to King Ranch. The leaders knew where Sprague's Pipit was being seen. Walking a pickup truck track across a large grassy plain, they first heard the birds. Then one of these pipits worked along the track just ahead of the group I was with. This was a bird adapted to dry grassy areas!

Sprague's Pipit - King Ranch, TX

In mid-January, 2010, I photographed this American Pipit at Eastern Lighthouse Point near Gloucester, MA. Both pipits are bigger than the usual LBJs (namely sparrows), but neither will earn any awards for plumage brilliance. In winter this pipit typically "disappears" into grassy fields and mudflats, walking and bobbing its tail.

American Pipit - Gloucester, MA

Good birding!

Coastal Birding

A day trip yesterday to the Massachusetts coast - Cape Ann & Newburyport area - produced good birding (which is something of a redundancy, since birding is, by definition, good - and a good way to spend a day).

About halfway through the morning, I realized that Common Loon was still absent, and made a particular point to look for it. No luck. Perhaps they were out to sea, or went - were blown - south by the recent, and rather strange, coastal storm.

Other than that, the usual suspects were present, though it seemed to be that the numbers were low. Tide was low in the morning, and the birds that were seen were rather far out, so photography was difficult.

On a day when wintering sea ducks, grebes, and alcids were the expected targets, the highlights were quite different.

At Eastern Point Lighthouse, an American Pipit posed briefly ...

... and at Salisbury Beach, a flock of 50+ Snow Buntings swirled around the campground.

Buffleheads were quite common all along the coast. The sharp contrast between the Bufflehead's bright white hood and bright white body with the dark wings, head, and neck have made this a challenging bird to get a good photograph of, and I have yet to meet the challenge. Nevertheless, in the low angle of the winter sun, the head and neck glistened with an iridescence that was stunning. This gentleman quite apparently has his eye on the lady.

The contrasting light and dark plumage on the Harlequin Duck poses the same photography challenge as does the Bufflehead. They were quite common along our route from the Granite Pier to Andrews Point - a reliable area to see these birds if you need them for a life list.

The King Eider was out to sea, or at least our of our sighting, yesterday. Common Eiders were - well, common - though there were no huge rafts as I have often see, and most were too distant for good photos. But this female was near the breakwater at the lighthouse ...

Good birding!

Arizona Sampler

Participated in Wings Over Willcox birding festival. The all day trip for Southwest Winter Specialties was very productive, traveling the length of sulphur Springs Valley, through farmland, ranchland, grassland, some mountains, and wetlands. In vicinity of Whitewater Draw, here are a few:

Ladder-backed Woodpecker ...


American Pipit (although we tried to make it into Sprague's, but then someone read Sibley who said - does not bob tail, and this guy was bobbing its tail) ...


Vermilion Flycatcher ...

Brewer's Sparrow (talk about a non-descript, little brown bird, this is it!) ...

Pied-billed Grebe and Eared Grebe (froze my tush at Niles Beach near Gloucester, MA, looking for this bird a few days before leaving on this trip) ...

More soon. Good Birding!!