Return of the swamp sparrow

Yesterday afternoon, Steve spotted a swamp sparrow in the tiny cattail marsh beside the spring house. Was this the same individual that hung out at the bird feeder for several weeks last April? Is this a sign of a general expansion in range for this species?

In other bird-related news, Lillian and Don Stokes in their birding blog note that the results of this year’s Christmas bird count are showing that “this is a fantastic year for seeing irruptive species of birds. Pine Siskins, Pine Grosbeaks, Common Redpolls and more are being seen widely across the country.” So sometimes unusual sightings here on the mountain, such as the redpolls we saw in December and early January, do reflect larger trends.