White-throated Sparrow

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology sums it up nicely: "Crisp markings make the White-throated Sparrow an attractive bird as well as a hopping, flying anatomy lesson."

These sparrows breed mostly in the forests of Canada but winter across most of the eastern and southern United States and California. In the Lehigh Valley and vicinity, White-throated Sparrows generally are seen from October through April.

The White-throated Sparrow is a large sparrow with a prominent bill, rounded head, long legs and long tail. Besides the notable white bib, the "White-throat" is brown above and white below. It has a black eye stripe (a "supercillium"), yellow lores on the head, and a white throat bordered by a black whisker, or malar stripe. (A "lore" is the area of the bird's face from the base of the bill to the front of the eyes.)

White-throats stay near the ground, scratching through leaves looking for food. They often gather in flocks. You may see them low in bushes as well as eating fresh buds in spring.

White-throated Sparrows mainly eat seeds of grasses and weeds, including ragweed and buckwheat, as well as fruits of sumac, grape, cranberry, mountain ash, rose, blueberry, blackberry and dogwood. During summer in Canada, they also eat large quantities of insects. 

Now that they've arrived in the Lehigh Valley region, you may see them in your backyard feeding on millet and black oil sunflower seeds.

During breeding season, the female usually nests on the ground. She selects a depression amid dense vegetation and adds moss. She then builds the sides of the nest with grass, twigs, wood chips and pine needles. The nest is hidden from above by leaves.

But White-throated Sparrows sometimes may build nests of up to 15 feet in conifers. These nests usually are second attempts after a ground nest was robbed by a predator.

The female lays one or two broods. Eggs are very pale blue or greenish blue and speckled.

White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos are both members of the sparrow family. Occasionally the two may mate. They produce a hybrid looking like a grayish, dully marked White-throat with white outer tail feathers.

The White-throat's call is a distinctive wavering whistle of Oh-sweet-Canada-Canada-Canada. On a cold winter's day, listen for their song. You just may feel a little warmer.

Lehigh Valley bird sightings for week of October 16

Western Kingbird

Bald Eagles and Sharp-shinned Hawks continue their migration over the mountain ridges from New Jersey and Pennsylvania during the week ended October 16. But several uncommon migrants have been seen as well, according to the weekly list compiled by Dave DeReamus, of the Eastern PA BIrdline, which is sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society.

For instance, a Western Kingbird was seen in Palmerton. These birds normally breed on the Great Plains west to California. There is no mistaking them from Eastern Kingbirds, which are common in the Lehigh Valley area during the summer. The eye-catching Western Kingbirds have ashy gray and lemon-yellow plumage; Eastern Kingbirds have blackish and white colors.

Right now Western Kingbirds are migrating in flocks south to their wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America. They do stray eastward during migration but almost never are seen in our area.

Western Kingbirds are known for their "take charge" behavior. They've even been known to chase off hawks and kestrels that come too close to their home base. They favor open areas with plenty of trees and utility poles where they dart out to feed on flying insects.

Another species, Nelson's Sparrow, was spotted at Beltzville State Park. These secretive birds breed along freshwater marshes of eastern Canada and the Great Plains. They rarely visits our area, even during their migration to coastal marshes along the southern Atlantic and Gulf coasts. 

Nelson's Sparrow

The diet of the Nelson's Sparrow consists mainly of insects, spiders, marine worms, small crabs, snails and other invertebrates. The bird also will eat seeds of marsh plants, especially in the fall and winter.

The Nelson's Sparrow has played a bit part in popular culture. Its name has been borrowed for an episode of the CBS crime drama, Criminal Minds. In the episode, detectives pursue a serial killer who has surfaced after three years of inactivity. A victim was a member of a bird-watching club.

Monocacy Nature Center, Northampton County
Wilson's Warbler, 1 on October 14.

Little Gap, Carbon County
Bald Eagle, 3 on October 11.
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 157 on October 11.
Peregrine Falcon, 5 on October 11.

Palmerton, Carbon County
(along Boyer Farm Road and Hemlock Road)
Western Kingbird, 1 from October 11 through at least October 15.

Beltzville State Park, Carbon County
Orange-crowned Warbler, 1 on October 11.
Nelson's Sparrow, 1 on October 11 (at the spillway area)

Bake Oven Knob, Lehigh County
Bald Eagle, 7 on October 12 and 4 on October 14.
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 145 on October 14 and 182 and October 15.
Golden Eagle, 1 on October 10 and October 15.
Merlin, 8 on October 14.

Peace Valley Park, Bucks County
Surf Scoter, 1 on October 10.

Lake Towhee, Bucks County
Trumpeter Swan, 1 on October 14 and October 15.

Merrill Creek Reservoir in New Jersey
Surf Scoter, 3 on October 11.
Lesser Black-backed Gull, 128 on October 10.
Rusty Blackbird, 1 on October 10.

Scotts Mountain Hawkwatch, at Merrill Creek
Bald Eagle, 4 on October 14 and October 15.
Northern Goshawk, 1 on October 15.
Peregrine Falcon, 2 on October 14.

To report bird sightings to Dave DeReamus, send an e-mail to becard@rcn.com with the word "Birdline" in the subject heading.

Lehigh Valley bird sightings for November 28

White-crowned Sparrow, Gambel's subspecies

Another wintertime sparrow has arrived in the Lehigh Valley. A White-crowned Sparrow was seen on November 22 in a backyard in Williams Township, Northampton County. That is the same backyard where a Harris's Sparrow was reported one week ago.

Specifically the White-crowned Sparrow was a Gambel's subspecies, which breeds from Alaska to Hudson Bay, so far north that in summer the sun almost always shines. As with any of the five variants of the White-crowned Sparrow, the Gambel's migrates south for the winter. The Gambel's subspecies is not often seen locally.

The handsome White-crowned Sparrow is similar is size to the White-throated Sparrow, another winter migrant, but the former's crown has bold black and white stripes. Its throat, neck and underparts are gray. Its bill is orange. It's also more slender.

White-crowned Sparrows can be found scurrying through brushy borders between woods and fields or through overgrown fields. They can be seen at backyard feeders. You may see them intermingling with Fox Sparrows but they'll chase away Dark-eyed Juncos. White-crowned Sparrows mostly eat seeds of weeds and grasses, including wheat and corn. In the summer they consume caterpillars and other insects. They're also fond of elderberries and blackberries.

They nest on bare ground or small shrubs using grasses using twigs, grasses, mosses, lichens and hairs. The female lays three to seven eggs, which she incubates for 10 to 14 days. The youngsters remain in the nest for another eight to 10 days. One to three broods are raised each summer.

White-crowned Sparrows are ambitious migrants. One bird was tracked for 300 miles in a single night. Their numbers have declined by 33 percent between 1966 and 2010 but a breeding population of 60 million remain.

The White-crowned was among several birds reported to Dave DeReamus, of the Eastern PA Birdline, during the period ended November 28. The reporting project is sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society.

Martins Creek Environmental Center, Northampton County
(Tekening area)
Bonaparte's Gull, 2 on November 23.

Nazareth Quarry, Northampton County
Greater White-fronted Goose, 1 on November 20.

Williams Township, Northampton County
Harris's Sparrow, 1 from November 17 through at least November 27.

Bethlehem, Northampton County
Peregrine Falcon, 2 on November 22.

Beltzville State Park, Carbon County
Forster's Tern, 1 on November 23 (late date for the season).

Bake Oven Knob, Lehigh County
Bald Eagle, 5 on November 21, 6 on November 24 and 5 on November 27.
Northern Goshawk, 2 on November 21.
Golden Eagle, 9 on November 21.
Also seen: Pine Siskin, several fly-bys.

Green Lake Reservoir, Montgomery County
(Church Road area)
Greater White-fronted Goose, 1 on November 25.
Cackling Goose, 1 on November 25.
Northern Shovelers, 55 on November 25.

Lake Nockamixon, Bucks County
(at the marina)
Trumpeter Swan, 1 on November 21.

Peace Valley Park, Bucks County
Redheads, 2 on November 20 and November 21.
Greater Scaup, 3 on November 22
Also seen: Double-crested Cormorant and Bald Eagle.

Merrill Creek Reservoir, New Jersey
(Scotts Mountain Hawk Watch)
Bald Eagle, 5 on November 21.
Northern Goshawk, 1 on November 24.
Golden Eagle, 1 on November 24.

The Common Raven was seen at several sites from many sites.

To report bird sightings to Dave DeReamus, send an e-mail to becard@rcn.com with the word "Birdline" in the subject heading.

Two rare winter birds appear in the Lehigh Valley

Harris's Sparrow in Missouri

Two more wintertime visitors have arrived in the Lehigh Valley—and both are unusual ones. A Harris's Sparrow was seen from November 17 through at least November 21 in Williams Township, Northampton County. A Lapland Longspur was seen through November 14 on Smith Lane, near Alburtis in Lehigh County.

Both species breed in Canada and winter in the United States but the Harris's Sparrow is a special case. Usually it favors the prairies from the Dakotas to Texas for the winter; it rarely is seen east of the Mississippi River.

Sightings of Harris's Sparrows have been recorded only four times in the Lehigh Valley since 2001. The locations included Seemsville, Moorestown and Upper Mount Bethel, all in Northampton County, according to Birds of the Lehigh Valley and Vicinity, the guidebook of the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society. This is now the fifth reported sighting.

Harris's Sparrow in Arkansas in February 2011

A single Harris's Sparrow was seen on Monday as it ate millet seed that had been spread on a residential driveway. Sightings occurred each day during the week, including one in which the bird bathed in a creek on the homeowner's property. By Friday it was eating at bird feeders along with other sparrows.

During the summer, Harris's Sparrows breed in the scrub forests and mossy bogs of northern Canada, ranging from the western shores of Hudson Bay to the entire Northwest Territories. So remote is this territory that no ornithologist had seen a nest until 1931.

In Canada, the sparrow scratches through leaves and soil for insects, spiders and snails, and eats weed seeds, berries, and flower buds and blossoms. In its winter range, it is a seed-eater. 

The strikingly handsome bird is easily distinguished from our commonest sparrow, the House Sparrow. The adult Harris's Sparrow is about 7½ inches tall, a full inch taller than the male House Sparrow. 

Lapland Larkspur

The Harris's Sparrow a black throat, crown and chest. Its bill is pink; its face is gray. The white abdomen has spotted or streaked sides. Immature birds have buff faces and lack the solid black crown, throat and breast. House Sparrows are chunkier, their chests fuller and their tails shorter. The black on the male House Sparrow is confined to its bib. The males have a chestnut-colored neck. Females are streaked brown above and dingy white below.

The Lapland Longspur is a medium-sized sparrow-like bird that breeds in windswept wet meadows, grassy areas and scrub in the Arctic tundra from northern Newfoundland to the Alaskan Aleutians. It's also common to Arctic regions of Europe and Asia. Its winter range stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

The bird has a short, thick, pointed bill with a black face and crown, a chestnut-colored nape, white outer tail feathers, a chestnut-colored patch on the wings, streaked sides and smudges on the whitish breast. The wintering male, as well as the female and immature male, are a bit duller. Their size is 6 to 7 inches.

The bird is rarely seen in our region, according to Birds of the Lehigh Valley and Vicinity. They may seen one year and then none for several years in a row.

Lapland Longspur

The bird is a forager, walking (rather than hopping) across the ground in search of seeds. They supplement their diet with insects in the breeding season. The Longspur is common and widespread, largely unthreatened by changes in the climate.

The Lapland Longspur breeds in wet areas with birch and willow or on bare mountains. The nest consists of a grass-lined hollow on the ground, concealed under a clump of grass or a scrubby birch. The female lays two to four eggs. The nestlings are fed only insects until they fledge.

During migration, Lapland Longspurs congregate in huge flocks, sometimes of 4 million birds. During snowstorms they can collide with lighted structures such as radio towers, killing thousands in a single night, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology says.

Lehigh Valley bird sightings for November 21

In addition to the Harris's Sparrow and the the Lapland Longspur, here are other bird sightings for the period ended November 21. The list was compiled by Dave DeReamus, of the Eastern PA Birdline, which is sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society.

Bethlehem, Northampton County
Peregrine Falcon, 1 on November 18 and 1 on November 20.

Bake Oven Knob, Lehigh County
Bald Eagle, 8 on November 14.
Golden Eagle, 8 on November 14.
Also seen: Pine Siskin, severe fly-bys.

Beltzville State Park, Carbon County
Brant, 1 through November 14.
White-winged Scoter, 1 on November 14.

Green Lane Reservoir, Montgomery County
Bonaparte's Gull, 5 on November 16.
Also seen: Osprey.
At the Church Road area
Rusty Blackbird, 1 on November 16.

Lake Towhee, Bucks County
Trumpeter Swan, 1 through at least November 16.

Peace Valley Park, Bucks County
Seen: Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Merlin and Gray Catbird.

Merrill Creek Reservoir, New Jersey
At Scott's Mountain Hawkwatch
Bald Eagle, 11 on November 18.
Northern Goshawk, 1 on November 20.

To report bird sightings to Dave DeReamus, send an e-mail to becard@rcn.com with the word "Birdline" in the subject heading.

White-throated Sparrow

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology sums it up nicely: "Crisp markings make the White-throated Sparrow an attractive bird as well as a hopping, flying anatomy lesson. There's the black eye stripe, the white crown and supercilium ("eyebrow"), the yellow lores on the head, the white throat bordered by a black whisker, or malar stripe."

White-throated Sparrow

These sparrows breed mostly in the forests of Canada, but winter across most of the eastern and southern United States and California. In the Lehigh Valley and vicinity, White-throated Sparrows generally are seen from October through April.

The White-throated Sparrow is a large sparrow with a prominent bill, rounded head, long legs and long tail. Besides the notable white bib, "White-throats" are brown above and gray below.

White-throats stay near the ground, scratching through leaves looking for food, often in flocks. You may see them low in bushes as well as eating fresh buds in spring.

During colder months, White-throated Sparrows mainly eat seeds of grasses and weeds, including ragweed and buckwheat, as well as fruits of sumac, grape, cranberry, mountain ash, rose, blueberry, blackberry and dogwood. They will eat millet and black oil sunflower seeds at backyard feeders. In summer they eat large quantities of insects. 

For a nest, the female selects a depression in the ground amid dense vegetation and adds moss. She then builds the sides with grass, twigs, wood chips and pine needles. The nest is hidden from above by leaves and visible from only one side. She may lay one or two broods per season. Eggs are very pale blue or greenish blue and speckled.

If a ground nest was robbed by a predator, the female White-throat may attempt a second nest in a conifer up to 15 feet high. 

Not related and looking nothing alike, the White-throated Sparrow and the Dark-eyed Junco may mate and produce a hybrid looking like a grayish, dully marked White-throat with while outer tail feathers!

The White-throat's call is a distinctive wavering whistle of Oh-sweet-Canada-Canada-Canada. On a cold winter's day, listen for their song. You just may feel a little warmer.