The Many Disguises of the Song Sparrow; Olympic Peninsula Nat. Park

Which coat shall I wear today?

A dark Song Sparrow from the Northwest, Kalaloch Beach, Olympic Peninsula Nat. Park, WA; 8/3/2012.

Last week I posted some photos of many Sea Birds hanging around the shorelines at Kalaloch Beach in the Olympic Peninsula National Park from last August.  The area was also very rich with a variety of shore and land birds as well.  The Kalaloch area not only had some fine beach habitat, but also included some nice woodland and grassland areas. Some of these I observed along the coastline include: Bald Eagles, Spotted Sandpipers, Ospreys, belted Kingfishers, American Crows, American Robin, Barn Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Cedar Waxwings, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Common Ravens, Downy Woodpeckers,  Oregon Juncos, Rufus Hummingbirds, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Stellar Jays, European Starlings, Mourning Doves, Northern Red-Shafted Flickers, Spotted Towhees, and many types of sparrows, including Fox, House, White-crowned, Chipping, Savannah and Song. It was this latter sparrow, the Song Sparrow, that actually gave me the most trouble with identification.
On a dark gray early mourning I was returning from a hike on the beach, when I noticed some dark birds flitting in and out of the bushes along the dirt path leading up from the beach. After a few minutes of waiting for one of them to appear in a clearing, I was able to get a few shots (Above). I guessed these were either the Sooty versions of the Pacific Northwest Fox Sparrows or the Pacific Northwest versions of Song Sparrows, which are darker than the Song Sparrows I am accustomed to back in the Midwest (Below). I was leaning towards the Song Sparrow as my ID, but after reviewing my photos later in the day, I actually wasn't very sure about my Song Sparrow ID.  In the Northwest, both the Song and Fox are dark, but the bill seemed too dark and the back too streaked to be a Fox Sparrow. It had a small yellow spot at the base of the bill, which I thought could be an underdeveloped yellow lower mandible of the Fox, but the streaked back and dark legs pointed away from being a Fox.  No other type of Sparrow made sense, so by default I deemed it to be a Song Sparrow. It still seemed too dark for a Song Sparrow and the black legs and bill with the small yellow spot at the base also seemed out of character. But it still made the most sense out of any other Sparrow that be found in this location.

A Midwest Song Sparrow, Horicon Marsh national Wildlife area, WI; 6/16/2012.

Another Midwest version of the Song Sparrow, Nygren Wetlands, Rockton, IL; 4/5/2012.

As seen in the photos (Above), Song Sparrows in the Midwest are a bit lighter and have more definition in the streaks on their back, wings and flanks. They also have more contrast in their head stripes.

A Song Sparrow in the Southeast, Cherokee, North Carolina; 6/11/2010.

Song Sparrows in the Southeast (Above) are very similar to the Midwest, but seemed a bit lighter overall.

A very red version of a Song Sparrow from the Southwest, San Pedro Riparian Conservation Area, Sierra Vista, AZ; 4/10/2012.

But the song Sparrows from the Southwest Are much redder on their back and side streaks as well as their head stripes (Above).

Song Sparrow, Crystal Cove State Park, CA; 6/13/2011.

Yet another look of the Song Sparrow comes from the California Coast, where the stripes on the head, back, breast and flanks are almost black in contrast with the whiter breast feathers. These Song Sparrows (Above and below) were on the beach of Crystal Cove State Park a year ago.

Another California Coast version of a Song Sparrow, Crystal Cove State Park, Newport, CA; 6/13/2011.

Black Terns nesting in Glacial Park, IL & Horicon Marsh NWR, WI

BLACK TERNS

A Black Tern hovering over part of Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, WI; 6/16/2012.

About a month ago I was able to see my first Black Terns (#397 on my Life List), which were at Glacial Park, near Richmond, IL. However, they were so far out over the marsh that the best photo I could muster (Below) was pretty poor quality. So it goes without saying that a week later when I encountered a pair of Black Terns at Horicon Marsh, excited me for the chance to see them in action at more of a close range and to get a better photograph (Above) of this  beautiful species.

The best photograph I could come up with for the first Black Tern on my Life List, Glacial Park, Richmond, IL; 6/10/2012.

I was actually trying to locate some Marsh Wrens chattering away in the cattails and trying to get a Yellow-headed Blackbird in flight (would that be a YHBBIF?), when a Black tern flew over my head and I followed its flight to over the marsh. They are pretty easy to pick out, as their heads, belly, and breat are completeyl black, whereas most terns are primarily white. It flew pretty far out, but was still a lot closer than the Glacial Park Black Terns. Then I noticed at least two of these Terns hovering over the marsh.

A Black Tern fishing for a meal in the light rain, Horicon Marsh NWR, WI; 6/16/2012.

The two Terns put on quite a display, and even though it had started to rain, I was able to follow some of their flight and snap a couple of photos (Above).
I noticed that one of the Terns landed in the reeds and I lost its trail, but the other kept circling, hovering, and hunting nearby.  It also confronted a couple of Blackbirds (Red-winged and Yellow-headed) as if warning them not too get too close. I hoped that meant there was a nest somewhere. Only when the second Tern also landed did I notice the first Tern sitting on a muddy clump of reeds at the far end of the marsh (Below).

As I was following the flight of the Black Tern in the upper right center part of this photo, there was also another Black tern sitting on a nest in the lower left-center part of the photo, Horicon Marsh NWR, WI; 6/16/2012.

There are two Black terns in the photo (Above). Can you spot them both? (Below) is a close up the nesting Tern from the photograph (Above).

A close up of the Black Tern sitting on its nest, Horicon Marsh NWR, WI; 6/16/2012.

Having never seen a Black Tern before this summer, then seeing them twice within one week was exciting for me, as it is anytime I see a new bird. You birders who are able to identify a bird for the forst time know the feeling I am talking about.

A Black Tern, Horicon Marsh NWR, WI; 6/16/2012.

In the summer months, Black Terns are found across the northern states of the country, from Oregon and Washington in the West to the Great Lakes States in the Mid-section and the East, and spread throughout much of Canada. There are small pockets in California, Nevada, Colorado, and Kansas, where they can also be found. They typically will start their migration already in late July to their winter grounds in and around the northern coasts of South America.

Tree Swallow feeding its fledgling, Horicon Marsh NWR

Even though the series of photos below are not the sharpest, I thought  it was fun to see a Fledgdling Tree Swallow being fed in mid flight by its mother.

"Feed me! Feed me!"  This young Tree Swallow was squawking up a storm, Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, WI; 6/16/2012.

While hiking through the many trails at Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge I was trying to photograph Tree Swallows flying through the air, but was unable to get any decent shots. But I did notice the young Tree Swallow (Above) sitting on a branch and not doing much flying. As I aimed my camera at it, it suddenly started squawking, and before I knew it another Tree Swallow swooped in with a bug in its bill and fed the Juvenile while in flight (Below)...

An Adult Tree Swallow feeding its young in mid flight, Horicon Marsh NWR, WI; 6/16/2012.

"Feed me! Don't fly away! Don't ignore me!"
The Juvenile Tree Swallow kept squawking even after its parent had fed it and was leaing.

Even after the adult Swalllow fed its young, the youngster kept complaining, until it realized it had some food, then suddenly it looked very content (Below)...

"Oh, I have some food...thanks, Mom"
"Don't mention it. Please."

Pied-billed Grebe family at Horicon Marsh NWR

On a gray rainy morning a couple of weeks ago, while I was stalking some Marsh Wrens in the long cattail reeds on the side of a pond, a little duck-like bird suddenly swam out of the reeds making a beeline away from me. The little guy had a black, white and orange markings on its head and was quite striking. I had never seen a water bird like this before, but the shape of its body, particularly its head and bill looked like a Pied-billed Grebe. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw its Pied-billed Mama swimming fast toward it and diverting its course to the opposite side of the pond.

A Pied-billed Grebelet, Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, WI; 6/16/2012.

A Pied-billed Grebe with a soon-to-be-a meal-frog in its bill, Horicon Marsh NWR; 6/16/2012.

The P-B Grebe turned toward the opposite side of the pond, still with the frog in its bill, Horicon Marsh NWR; 6/16/2012.

"Look at what I have for dinner...yummy," says the Mother to her Grebeling, Horicon Marsh NWR; 6/16/2012.

Soon two more Grebelets appeared and followed Mom,  Horicon Marsh NWR; 6/16/2012.

"Okay, now we all have to learn to share," Mother Grebe says to her brood, Horicon Marsh NWR; 6/16/2012. 

Because of this little episode in the the lives of the Pied-billed Grebe family, I lost the Marsh Wrens that were chattering in the reeds.