Various Locations in SEAZ
October 10, 2020
This natty sparrow was spotted on the golf course at Arthur Pack Regional Park on 10-9-2020. The golf course would usually be closed to birders. But since the course its being re-seeded and there are no golfers the trails and rough are open to birding. There has been some discussion as to this being a very rare bird for Pima County or if it is just a less rare Sagebrush Sparrow. The consensus is Bell’s.
The nape and back of this bird looks to be Bell’s. The Sagebrush Sparrow is streaky.
Mark Stevenson found this bird on 10-8-2020. It forages with White-Crowned Sparrows and House Finches. Relatively tame. This is a good example of a dull fall bird. By late March it will have a bright rufous cap and be quite striking if it sticks around. There is no lake at Silverlake.
These birds are uncommon and widespread in SEAZ this year. They have been spotted in several parks in Tucson, associating with lessers, White-Crowned Sparrows, Lark Sparrows and even Lawrence’s Goldfinches.
This bird was found by Lou Dombroski (?), a volunteer at Paton’s Center for Hummingbirds, Squirrels, and Chiggers in Patagonia. It was seen only for a few seconds at a time at distance. There is no truth to the rumor that the birding overlords are considering changing the name to Black-and-Blue Warbler.
This is a new yard bird for me.It showed up just as the light was failing. Oddly, it was associating with an adult male Cardinal.