Máistir Nádúraí: You don't have to go far!

11.08.2007

You don't have to go far!

Finding a Harris's Sparrow last weekend at Pheasant Branch prairie got me thinking about all the sparrow species and their allies I've seen in 2007. In a continuing effort to reduce road trips to observe and photograph birds, I think I did pretty well this year. Trip-wise, Lark Sparrow was seen in neighboring Sauk County at Spring Green Reserve, and I saw Henslow's Sparrows near Horicon Marsh when I was up there to lead a few field trips for the annual club festival. The rest of the sparrows were found in Dane County, and then mostly at Pheasant Branch Conservancy:

American Tree Sparrow - PBC

Chipping Sparrow - Backyard

Clay-colored Sparrow - PBC

Vesper Sparrow - Cuba Valley Road, north of Waunakee

Savannah Sparrow - PBC

Grasshopper Sparrow - PBC

Le Conte's Sparrow - Nine Springs

Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow - Nine Springs

Fox Sparrow - PBC

Song Sparrow - PBC

Lincoln's Sparrow - PBC

Swamp Sparrow - PBC

White-throated Sparrow - PBC

Harris's Sparrow - PBC

White-crowned Sparrow - PBC

Dark-eyed Junco - Backyard

Lapland Longspur - Balzer Road, north of PBC

Snow Bunting - Balzer Road, north of PBC

Eastern Towhee - PBC

Bio:

Mike McDowell has been documenting southern Wisconsin’s flora and fauna since 1987 and began leading field trips in 2002. Prolific at Pheasant Branch Conservancy, other highlighted natural areas include Pope Farm Conservancy, Spring Green Preserve, and the Baraboo Hills. His nature photography has appeared in various publications, newspapers, magazines and was even featured on a Wisconsin Endangered Resources license plate, a Capital Brewery beer label, and a National Geographic publication. He began journaling nature observations on this blog in 2005. He's the recipient of the 2012 Bronze Passenger Pigeon Award from the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their local communities or state to promote the field of ornithology. He was a finalist in Swarovski’s Digiscoper of the Year photography contest several times. His other interests include insect macro-photography (especially tiger beetles, treehoppers, and robber flies), fossil collecting, amateur astronomy, botany, natural history, and marksmanship with long-range firearms. Once a gigging musician, collecting Fender Stratocasters is a recently revived interest—most prized being a 1957 Vintage Custom 'Mary Kaye' White Blonde. A former IT Professional, he's spent the last 24 years employed in the sport optics industry and has more binoculars than you.