Purple Finches and some late arrivals

[cairnstone]

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.

[Reuven_M]

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

[cairnstone]

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

[Reuven_M]

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.

[cairnstone]

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.