dmark@acsu.buffalo.edu (David Mark) (05/12/91)
In article <72187@microsoft.UUCP> cindyri@microsoft.UUCP (Cynthia RISKIN) writes: >Location: Whidbey Island in western Washington state >Habitat: low grasses next to marsh (probably salt water) >across the street from Puget Sound >Behavior: territorial; obviously nesting in grass >Description: Sparrowlike; mottled brown back (sparrowlike; surprise), >much yellow (ochre, really), .... Almost certainly a Savannah Sparrow. I don't think that a Song Sparrow would be out in a marsh, and I don't ever remember seeing a yellowish SS, whereas Savannah's are generally yellowish about the head at least. David Mark dmark@sun.acsu.buffalo.edu
mjm@oliven.ATC.Olivetti.Com (Michael Mammoser) (05/14/91)
In article <76107@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>, dmark@acsu.buffalo.edu (David Mark) writes: > > I don't think that a Song Sparrow > would be out in a marsh, Except for the Salt Marsh Song Sparrow, a subspecies that lives and breeds in the salt marshes around San Francisco Bay. I'm not sure, however, that they would be found in western Washington, and they sure don't have any yellow coloration to them. Mike
edm@verdix.com (Ed Matthews) (05/14/91)
In article <50791@olivea.atc.olivetti.com> mjm@oliven.ATC.Olivetti.Com (Michael Mammoser) writes: >In article <76107@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>, dmark@acsu.buffalo.edu (David Mark) writes: >> >> I don't think that a Song Sparrow >> would be out in a marsh, > > Except for the Salt Marsh Song Sparrow, a subspecies that lives >and breeds in the salt marshes around San Francisco Bay. I'm not sure, >however, that they would be found in western Washington, and they sure >don't have any yellow coloration to them. I just spent all day in the marshes at Bombay Hook NWR, DE, around Port Mahon, DE, and at Little Creek WMA, DE, and there were plenty of vanilla Song Sparrows in those marshes, as were there at Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge about three weeks ago. But, these birds look like prototypical song sparrows with no yellow coloration. Do you have Savannah Sparrows on the left coast? They can have a fair amount of yellow/buff. -- Ed Matthews edm@verdix.com Verdix Corporation Headquarters (703) 378-7600 Chantilly, Virginia
grp@Unify.com (Greg Pasquariello) (05/14/91)
In article <72187@microsoft.UUCP>, cindyri@microsoft.UUCP (Cynthia RISKIN) writes: > > Location: Whidbey Island in western Washington state > Habitat: low grasses next to marsh (probably salt water) > across the street from Puget Sound > Behavior: territorial; obviously nesting in grass > Description: Sparrowlike; mottled brown back (sparrowlike; surprise), > much yellow (ochre, really), brown eyeline, brown and yellow > stripes on head, brown whiskers, EVERY SO SLIGHTLY CRESTED > ; no strong wing bars; possible > white in tail, but no strong markings; breast WHITE with > a few brown or black streaks at the top and sides, but not > a lot and A BLACK CENTRAL SPOT in a white field (didn't look > stripey with dark spot like song sparrow) > Song: Song sparrow-like, but shorter and somewhat buzzier. > > Is this one of the plethora of song sparrow varieties > in the Pacific NW, or is it possibly a flock of bizarrely > light-colored sage sparrows nesting far west of their range? This sounds like a Savannah Sparrow. They are quite yellowish about the head, and often sport a slight crest. They are found in grasses as you describe. The song of a Savannah Sparrow matches your description too, and is sometimes described as sounding like "I'm a Savaaaaaaanah" with the accent on the aaa's. Graphically, it would look something like: I'm a sa vaaaaaaaa nah - _ _ ~~~~~~~~~ _ (uh-oh, ascii sonagrams!) > > Any ideas? -- --- Greg Pasquariello grp@unify.com Unify Corporation Be good and never poison people