101622 SNP Edition, Life At Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/lifestyles/life-at-boomer-lake-more-birds-on-the-way/article_da8fa804-4b22-11ed-9c77-2b09b772c2c1.html 

112719 Muskogee Edition, Birding Today

https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/lifestyles/birding-today-how-to-id-winter-sparrows/article_dc8d8c32-51fb-5833-a169-34669a2e2ee6.html

102719 SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/life-at-boomer-lake-finding-wonderful-sights-at-boomer-lake/article_26e8156a-f78e-11e9-9754-63746a5178db.html

Oklahoma Winter Bird Profile: Red Fox Sparrow

The Red (Taiga) Fox Sparrow is the most brightly colored Fox Sparrow that winters in Oklahoma.
It comes to the southern Great Plains area around October to mid-November and stays until early April, when it goes back north for breeding purposes.  It is widespread locally over the entire state except the Panhandle, which is lacking in brush and trees.

Associates of many other wintering sparrows, they are also ground foragers, as backward scratchers within leaf litter seeking insects, fruit, and seeds, similar to towhee behavior.

This large sparrow is the most prolific of all of the Fox Sparrows with the largest swath of migratory and breeding range, especially in the Boreal Forest.  Depending upon the races or forms, their coloration can vary from foxy red to dark brown to gray.

                                                          Red (Taiga) Fox Sparrow
                                                         Boomer Creek Park, 2015

Out of the breeding zone, these are generally solitary birds, occasionally in small groups.  Their distribution has changed somewhat due to human proclivities involving logging and both natural and set fire regimes.  Both of these create a heavy understory, which this bird finds very appealing.

This stocky sparrow is larger than the Song Sparrow and more brightly colored.  Sometimes confused with the Hermit Thrush, it has a much different GISS (general impression, shape, and size) and coloration will not change with the season.

It is a long- to short-distance migrant, whereby the Alaskan population may go as far southeast as Florida.  The Sierra Nevada subspecies is an altitudinal migrater, and the remainder are more of a short distance mover.

As can be seen thus far in the winter bird profiles on sparrows, this will be another easy sparrow to identify.

The Northern Reaches Boasts Visions of Joy for the Holiday Season

                                                         Yellow-rumped Warbler(Fall)

                                                                Slate-colored Junco

                                                                   Red Fox Sparrow

                                                                Northern Mockingbird


0730-1005 hrs./42-43 degrees F/partly cloudy/15 mph wind gusts

Not quite as chilly today, but it was cool, nonetheless.  However, The Northern Reaches were filled with song and merriment.  It was plays time for all the Yellow-rumped Warblers, half a dozen Slate-colored Juncos, a Red Fox Sparrow, the Northern Mockingbird, a couple of Blue Jays, several American Robins, a Northern Flicker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, a Brown Thrasher, Downy Woodpecker, and whatever else I might have missed.  I was thrilled to find a living Red Fox Sparrow, as the last one had died in flight a couple of months ago.  As you can see, it is a beautiful bird, worth having as a picture.

Let's see what tomorrow brings!