Dear Peeps, I managed to shoot some video today while observing the Clay-colored Sparrow at Flushing Meadow Park in Queens, which I wanted to share for anyone interested.
Today's rain, coupled with a very active bird made it quite difficult to get decent video scoping footage, so don't be too hard on me about the production. I removed portions of the various clips where it was too blurry or the bird was absent and slowed the frames down to give the viewer time to study the field marks of the bird. Many thanks to Steve Schellenger who was a good spotter in helping me track the bird when shooting with my scope and iPhone. The video is publicly accessible at https://flic.kr/p/CpitGj Best, Andrew On Tue, Dec 22, 2015 at 11:09 AM, Deborah Allen <dalle...@earthlink.net> wrote: > > Here's a photo of a Brewer's Sparrow taken in July in Bowman County, North > Dakota, a breeding bird in typical sagebrush habitat. The tail is longer > than that shown in photos of the sparrow in Queens: > > http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=18145522 > > Deb Allen > > > > -----Original Message----- > >From: Shaibal Mitra <shaibal.mi...@csi.cuny.edu> > >Sent: Dec 22, 2015 7:23 AM > >To: 'NY Birds' <nysbirds-l@cornell.edu> > >Subject: RE: [nysbirds-l] Queens spizella sparrow > > > >To clarify one point that has been raised, Clay-colored Sparrow is also > very long-tailed, like Brewer's. This distinction vs. Chipping > (shorter-tailed) is sometimes evident in the field. > > > >Shai Mitra > >Bay Shore > >________________________________________ > >From: bounce-120005371-3714...@list.cornell.edu [ > bounce-120005371-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Steve Walter [ > swalte...@verizon.net] > >Sent: Monday, December 21, 2015 9:41 PM > >To: 'NY Birds' > >Subject: RE: [nysbirds-l] Queens spizella sparrow > > > >I had the opportunity to photograph a few Brewer’s in Arizona in > September 2012. I say Brewer’s because they are expected there – vastly > outnumbering Clay-colored. But matching up some of the pictures to field > guides was more difficult than you would think, especially with few actual > photographs to compare to. I have a few of my pictures available online > still, if anyone wants to compare. In one of them, the tail appears > especially long. Also of note is that the crown streaking looks finer to me > than on the Queens bird. Of course, age and time of year have to be taken > into account. > > > >The address is http://stevewalternature.com/steve/sparrows.htm . The > pictures to look at are labeled Las Cienagas 07, 08, and 09. > > > > > >Steve Walter > > > >From: bounce-120005318-8873...@list.cornell.edu [mailto: > bounce-120005318-8873...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of David Klauber > >Sent: Monday, December 21, 2015 8:36 PM > >To: NY Birds <nysbirds-l@cornell.edu> > >Subject: [nysbirds-l] Queens spizella sparrow > > > > I've done a bit of research on this and I think identification to > species is inconclusive, as there seem to be characteristics that favor > both Clay-colored and Brewer's. There is more confusion because I think the > side of the face that shows a black semi-circle might be feather bases > caused by the wind or ruffled feathers, since neither species shows this. > Like almost everyone else I don't have extensive experience with either > species, especially Brewer's, but here's what I've found from checking the > Nat Geo, Sibley, Stokes photo guide, and Rising & Beadle's sparrow guide. > > > >There seems to be weak streaking on the gray nape, which I think should > be stronger for Brewer's, but shouldn't be there for Clay-colored. The > eye-ring seems a bit weak for Brewer's as well - could it be worn? The > black streaks on the back are listed as good for Brewer's by Rising, etc, > but Sibley paints Clay-colors with a similar pattern. Deborah Allen > mentioned the tail looking short for Brewer's, and most books show Brewer's > with a long tail. The overall color looks more like the grayish-brown of > Brewer's. The face pattern doesn't look strong enough for Clay-color, but > doesn't really match Brewer's either. > > > >The Stokes guide has a photo on page 666, bottom left, which comes pretty > close to the Queens bird, but not quite. There is supposed to be a > difference in the cheek color, but the previously mentioned black > semicircle obscures this, although I think it's more gray (Brewer's) than > buff (Clay-color). I don't know what to make of the faint blurry streaks on > the side of the breast, but it does match the same Stokes photo. The pink > bill is black on top, also good for Brewer's. > > > >So to my eyes a real head-scratcher. Hybrid seems the easy way out, but I > don't know much about worn or transitional plumages for either. > >In any event a very interesting bird, even if it's a dull LBJ. > >-- > >NYSbirds-L List Info: > >Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME> > >Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES> > >Subscribe, Configuration and Leave< > http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > >Archives: > >The Mail Archive< > http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> > >Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> > >BirdingOnThe.Net<http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html> > >Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ > >! > >-- > >-- > >NYSbirds-L List Info: > >Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME> > >Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES> > >Subscribe, Configuration and Leave< > http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > >Archives: > >The Mail Archive< > http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> > >Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> > >BirdingOnThe.Net<http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html> > >Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ > >! > >-- > > > >________________________________ > >Support CSI students this holiday season each time you shop with Amazon > Smile<https://smile.amazon.com/ch/13-3683723> > > > >-- > > > >NYSbirds-L List Info: > >http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME > >http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES > >http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm > > > >ARCHIVES: > >1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html > >2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L > >3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html > > > >Please submit your observations to eBird: > >http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ > > > >-- > > > > > -- > > NYSbirds-L List Info: > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm > > ARCHIVES: > 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html > 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L > 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html > > Please submit your observations to eBird: > http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ > > -- > > -- 風 Swift as the wind 林 Quiet as the forest 火 Conquer like the fire 山 Steady as the mountain Sun Tzu <http://refspace.com/quotes/Sun_Tzu> *The Art of War* <http://refspace.com/quotes/The_Art_of_War> (\__/) (= '.'=) (") _ (") Andrew Baksh www.birdingdude.blogspot.com -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
