I was out this weekend on a field trip to a plant conservatory and decided to make a side-trip on the way home, hopefully to add a few bird species to my '06 bird list. All work and no play makes for a pretty empty list, after all.
Thirty minutes on the trails at a local sanctuary, though, only resulted in several Juncos, one Red-bellied Woodpecker and some chattering teeth on my part. Definitely time to warm up, so I stopped in the Nature Center building on the way back to the car. While thawing out, I wandered over to the window to check the action at one of the birdfeeders.
First thing I noticed was that it was covered with Goldfinches. As I watched them through my Leica, I could see Chickadees darting in and out to grab sunflower seeds. Behind them a White-breasted Nuthatch spiraled up a dead oak. Not bad, especially since I was inside where it was nice and warm. Then out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a sparrow land in a bush directly below my window. I aimed the Leica, half expecting to see a House Sparrow. Instead I saw not one, but three different sparrow species scratching in the litter underneath the bush. There in nearly the same field of view was a Tree Sparrow, a White-throated sparrow and a beautiful rusty red Fox Sparrow.
Next time, I think I'll check the feeders first.
