As I noted in my earlier post, one of the sparrows in the group of Rufous-crowned Sparrows was quite dull and with indistinct markings. It showed a reduced amount of rufous/rusty coloration on it's crown (but with a definite black outline next to the rufous/rusty), grayish/brownish supercilium, grayish/buffy underparts (one photo shows some short streaks on the underparts), brownish (light rusty?) post-ocular stripe, some white submoustachial stripe, but with only a hint of a malar stripe and an indistinct eye-ring.
Though I have followed the Tunnel Drive Rufous-crowned Sparrows since they were discovered about 10 years ago, I usually don't get the opportunity to view field marks closely as in the photos I got yesterday. And I have only photographed adult birds in Texas so I don't have experience with sub-adult plumage variations and I would appreciate any observations by anyone with that experience. I have now uploaded photos of this bird onto my blog at http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com <http://birdsandnature.blogspot.com/> and a discussion of why I suspect this is a sub-adult Rufous-crowned Sparrow possibly transitioning from juvenal to first fall/Basic I plumage. I forgot to mention in my earlier post that a canyon wren sang while I watched the Rufous-crowned Sparrows and a Rock Wren called and foraged nearby. Rock Wrens often winter here and in some winters a Canyon Wren also does. SeEtta Moss Canon City http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Colorado Field Ornithologists: http://www.cfo-link.org/ Colorado County Birding: http://www.coloradocountybirding.com/ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.as/group/cobirds?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
