Uncommon: Surprises After All of These Years of Birdwatching

Distinctive White-throated Sparrow (image: Cheepshot/Wikimedia)


We paused at the beginning of our birdwatching outing, just past the gravely start of the trail, at Hayward Regional Shoreline park. The whole class trained our binoculars on the unsuspecting small sparrow hopping around the base of the oak tree with others that looked similar. Its head was stripped with creamy white and black bars and yellow patches near its eyes. Our instructor puzzled over it, recounting how white-crowned  and golden-crowned sparrows - the other species of sparrows in the group -- sometimes hybridized. He encouraged us all to take a close look at the sparrow. It wasn't until later in the evening in an email that he announced that had been our "bird of the day," a bird that comes to the East Bay to winter, but not in great numbers: a White-throated Sparrow! For me that was a life-list bird, meaning it was the first time I've ever seen and identified one.


American Pipit (Image: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren/Wikimedia)
We later saw another unusual bird (for me at least!): American pipits. I've probably seen them in the past, though when I tell you how I remember them, non-birders may laugh. To me they resemble American robins but without the red breast, and slimmer, sleeker-bodied with a finer-pointed bill, and they bob their tails. You may wonder why I think of robins at all! It has something to do with their overall look, perhaps, with their heads carried erect and their quick movements. At any rate, it's like seeing a stranger who looks like someone you know! And to me, I want to get to know them better. I saw them for the first time about a month ago in Morro Bay at a birding festival I attended. I've since seen them at MLK Regional Shoreline and then last weekend at Hayward Shoreline. It's like I keep running into them everywhere now! I felt a little foolish as when I saw them the second time and positively identified them, I did a little happy dance. Of course my instructor saw me! It's just so satisfying and cause for celebration when I get something right!

So what has nature brought your way? What have you been excited about lately?

Here's our ebird checklist for our Hayward Shoreline outing: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S42463495

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