DECEMBER is a month of hope!
Cold yes, dark yes, but the gloomy grey days of November have generally given way to sunnier, brighter days. At least, so it generally is here in southern Ohio, and I hope for you too. Then the winter solstice marks the shortest & darkest day of the year, but we know that immediately after that each day gets that wee bit longer and therefore lighter. Not just hope, but proof that spring is on its way. And all month we look forward to Christmas, the happiest, most hopeful day of the year. December is the month of planning, of preparation, shopping, wrapping, baking and FUN (if we just don’t let ourselves get overwhelmed).
All the while we know that Breagha and Millicent are warm in Africa. We pray for their continued safety, as well as that of other osprey that we follow. But not all the birds desert us for the warm southern climes. Some are well adapted to our northern winters and are still here, providing enjoyment and often appreciating our bird feeders.
Here on the Gabfest, a music night “around the world” has been suggested. We hope to hold this in early December. Also, I’m sure that later in December I, and probably others, will want to play some Christmas carols. Whether this will be an organized Music Night or just spontaneous music remains to be seen. Also a few of us are planning Christmas cakes. A Christmas music night may be organized around these presentations.
So once again, I issue an invitation to all osprey lovers to come on in to the Gabfest chat room, where we can enjoy the warm fires and chat about all things osprey as well as most anything else that crosses our minds.
Ruffed grouse is back!!! Beautiful markings...
Imagicat || Tiger's links || 2022 LG Obs
TJ and CC, I sent a link to this thread to my birding contact in the USA (with more than 50years birding experience!) and the suggestion is that the Sparrow-like bird with the red arrow pointing to it in your capture, TJ, may be a young White-crowned Sparrow from this year.
Kind regards, Ann
Unknown said:the suggestion is that the Sparrow-like bird with the red arrow pointing to it in your capture, TJ, may be a young White-crowned Sparrow from this year.
Oh, thanks Ann. I'll see if I can get another capture of it which might confirm its ID.
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream
Thanks, Ann! That would be great. I am an osprey nut, so my ID skills for any other bird are elementary.
Good morning/afternoon Gabbers all.
TJ, Ann, CC. I have enjoyed watching you try to ID a sparrow from an indistinct computer photo -- unless your computers show sharper than mine, of course.
Technically, any finch is a sparrow, according to my Golden Guide bird book, that is, a species of the large family (90 species) of sparrows. This family of sparrows also includes junco, bunting, and grosbeak, There are many species of birds that we recognize as "sparrows" and call by that name. My little book pictures only nine. Of these field, tree, vesper, chipping, white-throated, song, swamp, inhabit the Ontario and upper New York area. A more complete book would probably list more.
Throughout my lifetime I have seen thousands, probably millions, of sparrows. Like snowflakes, no two of them are ever exactly identical. They all look very much alike, but individually different. As my husband said about the ocean "Always the same, always different".
I immediately recognized the bird in question as a sparrow. Further than that I would not venture.
Thanks June. In Europe, Sparrows are treated as a separate family from Finches and indeed Buntings.
I remember an American friend telling me that House Sparrows were introduced to the USA by settlers and that they have caused problems. In Minnesota where she lived they had often ousted Bluebirds from their nesting sites and they had to take preventative measures to protect the Bluebirds.
Conversely, we've got the American Grey Squirrel which is now regarded as the No 1 pest and has been responsible in part for the decline of the native Red Squirrel in most of the UK. I guess we're quits but it goes show how careful we have to be about introducing non native species.
I've got another couple of birds coming to the Ithaca feeder which I may ask you or CC to help identify. I haven't yet managed to get clear screen captures of them.
While we continue here with bird watching and ID, I will be on our other thread "All Things Christmas" with some music and New Years chat for any who care to join me there.
The Bar Alba? See the streetwalk on new years eve 2 yrs ago June. What fun we had!
Happy New Year everyone.
A new Gabfest for January, 2015 has been opened HERE
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/f/915/p/114569/917386.aspx#917386 .