FreeLists / bristol-birds / [bristol-birds] re friendly sparrows + icterid arrivals

[Dnldhlt@xxxxxxx]

Hey Bryan Stevens,
     I had a Fox Sparrow at my feeder this morning (Wed.2-27) also, the first 
since early Jan.  (It was threatening snow then, too.)  I never seem to see 
more than one Fox Sparrow at a time, so I don't know how they behave toward 
one another.  I'm guessing you rarely see them or Field Sparrows in 
confrontations with other birds because they are 'stand-offish',  that is, 
they move to be a little more distant from others than would cause a 
confrontation.  They don't bump elbows as often as  more gregarious birds.  
I've watched Field Sparrows slip in and out of mixed feeding flocks like a 
loner walking through the mall, always turning enough to avoid a face-to-face 
long before it becomes imminent.  Or they stay out in the middle of the open 
area of grass where others are loathe to go.  They are lighter colored than 
the other sparrows I see, and invisible in brown grass when they don't move.  
Fox Sparrows, on the other hand, seem to always stay in a corner somewhere, 
out of the crowd, and never far from cover.  They look like they would blend 
in to a forest floor superbly. I wonder if they would behave differently 
there?  Finding the two together I imagine is reserved for bad weather days 
near feeders or other easy food source.
     I also had a visit today from 17 Red-winged Blackbirds, including 3 
females and several imm. males.  With them was one male Brown-headed Cowbird, 
(also the first I've had since early Jan.), and joining them occasionally 
were three male Common Grackles.  The last two months have been nearly devoid 
of icterids at my place.  I'm glad to see them.
     -Don Holt, Central Community, Carter Co., TN
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