N. American Birds.

White-crowned Sparrow. Paul Baker.

With visitors to Birds2blog from the US approaching 200 I thought a couple of birds of North America would be a good idea to fill in until tomorrow when I hope to be back birding in an as yet undecided area.

White-crowned Sparrow nest with four eggs. Paul Baker.

Thanks to Paul in BC Canada we have an excellent image of the White-crowned Sparrow, the benefit of knowing Paul is that we also have an interesting shot of the nest with four eggs.

The first of this species found in the UK was of a bird on Fair Isle, Shetland on 15 May 1977. Having been observed feeding with House Sparrows it was still present the following day. 

Savannah Sparrow. Paul Baker.

Savannah Sparrow nest with four eggs. 

Two more images from Paul are of the Savannah Sparrow and nest of four eggs. The first of this species to be found in the UK was of a bird at Portland Bill in Dorset on 11 April 1982, it remained until 16 April and actually established a small territory where it was watched by hundreds of observers, two American ornithologists established the bird to be of the race P.s princeps known as the Ipswich Sparrow.

Many thanks for these four photographs Paul they are very interesting.

Aldcliffe Wander.

Yellow Warbler. Paul Baker.

Could'nt resist kicking off with this little cracker, the Yellow Warbler, an image from Paul Baker over there in BC Canada.

An engagement I had this afternoon was called off but not until I had arrived on the scene to carry it out....I wasn't at all pleased, people who are so much disorganised that they can't find themselves to let others know whats going on - especially if I'm involved causing me to be on the receiving end of  their inconsiderate attitude - makes me sick to be honest.

So at 2.00pm - in desperation to get a little birding in - I went to do a circuit of Aldcliffe and on to Stodday which took me 2.5 hours. The trees and bushes are completely leaved now and the birds are in the main silently busy breeding which makes them so much more difficult to find and observe, but I managed to see a Whitethroat and hear 2 Lesser Whithroat. At Freeman's Pools I just managed to see the Little Ringed Plover as it went out of view at the east end of the island, and I heard a Sedge Warbler briefly from the embankment. I watched at least 8 House Martins collecting mud from the banks of the River Lune as I had here on 22 April and taking it to their nest site at a house up to 1/4 mile away....the energy of these birds amazes me.

In this 2.5 hours I saw just a couple of Peacock and Speckled Wood, and a Small Tortoiseshell  posing the question....where are all our butterflies?

And....

....another of Paul Bakers little gems, this one the White-crowned Sparrow. Thanks for these two images Paul, cracking birds, cracking photography.

Up to 30 Swift high over Bowerham in Lancaster as I end this post.