Outdoor Ontario

Birding Reports => Backyard Birding => Topic started by: cairnstone on November 15, 2015, 11:10:21 AM

Title: Purple Finches and some late arrivals
Post by: cairnstone on November 15, 2015, 11:10:21 AM

I've had 2 Purple Finches last night and this morning. Very uncommon here and never stay long. I also have a late Fox Sparrow scratching away in the garden. A Chipping Sparrow is hanging around since yesterday. I hope it doesn't stay the winter. I had one stay last winter and it suffered but did make it through until spring. Male and female Purple Finch on the feeder pictured below. Brampton, November 15, 2015.

(https://download.ams.birds.cornell.edu/api/v1/asset/21046681/large)

Title: Re: Purple Finches and some late arrivals
Post by: Reuven_M on November 15, 2015, 12:48:59 PM

I wouldn't be surprised if the Chipping Sparrow is the same bird returning to its wintering grounds.

Title: Re: Purple Finches and some late arrivals
Post by: cairnstone on November 15, 2015, 05:17:44 PM

No definitely not the same bird. The Chipping Sparrow last year had a distinctive mark

Title: Re: Purple Finches and some late arrivals
Post by: Reuven_M on November 15, 2015, 05:43:26 PM

What sort of mark? All the feathers would have molted since you last saw it, and abnormalities won't necessarily persist in the new feathers.

Title: Re: Purple Finches and some late arrivals
Post by: cairnstone on November 16, 2015, 03:20:51 PM

Last winter's bird had a tuft of black feathers behind it's left leg that formed a perfect circle. I would assume that those black feathers would grow back the same colour after molting. Perhaps not. I have plenty of photos of last winter's sparrow for comparison, but none that show the black spot.