FreeLists / bristol-birds / [bristol-birds] White-throated Sparrow with orange lores.

["Ed Talbott" <etalbott@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bristol Birders,
        Buchanan County Bird Club members Ed and Michelle Talbott and Shirley
Justus enjoyed a morning of birding on a reclaimed strip mine site at
Guesses Fork in Buchanan County.  The sparrows were out in great numbers,
especially the White-throated Sparrows which have returned in the hundreds.
We spotted eight different species of sparrows during the hike - including
two Lincoln's Sparrows.  The Swamp Sparrows were thick around the marshy
areas and I managed some good video of  Swamp, Lincoln's, Savannah, and
White-throated Sparrows.  We also got some good looks at a Cooper's Hawk and
a Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk.  A Monarch butterfly floated by at one point and
we also found fresh bear tracks in the road.  We noted our first
Ruby-crowned Kinglet of the fall and the Juncos have returned to Buchanan
County.  The rain held off until about 12:30 and the birding was fast and
furious most of the morning with large flocks of White-throated Sparrows
moving through the Autumn Olive bushes.  We spotted at least two
White-throated Sparrows with bright orange lores but I was unable to get
video of them.  A quick search of the Internet revealed that this is
probably caused by the ingestion of rhodoxanthin, a red pigment found in the
berries of an introduced shrub, Morrow?s Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii).
Other species that have shown changed coloration include the Cedar Waxwing,
Kentucky Warbler, and Yellow-breasted Chat.

Our 8 species of sparrow:  Chipping, Song, Field, Savannah, Lincoln's,
White-crowned, White-throated, and Swamp.

Good Birding.

Ed Talbott
Buchanan County Bird Club
http://www.bcplnet.org/birdclub/birdclub.htm






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