Further Feathered Fennel Feeders
OK, sorry about that title. Couldn’t help it. Went out this morning again looking for Burrowing Owls in the park. They are still absent. But again, found consolation birds, to twit: a Great Blue Heron (the same one as before, I believe), and in the Fennel, a Song Sparrow, a White-crowned Sparrow, and a pair of House Finches, of which only the male sat clear enough of the bush to get its picture taken. I’ve seen the finch in the Fennel before. The Song Sparrow and the White-crowned are also familiar in the park but this is the first time I’ve seen them feeding in the Fennel. Their presence solidifies the position of the Fennel as an important bird habitat in several seasons. The Fennel forest in the northwest quadrant of the park is a thriving home and nursery for Red-winged Blackbirds in the spring, and over a larger area it’s an important food source for a variety of bird species in the autumn. So, even though Fennel is not a native — virtually the entire plant population of Cesar Chavez Park consists of undocumented immigrants — it has become naturalized as a core habitat for native avians and deserves thoughtful protection.
Hm. You may be right. What got me thinking Song Sparrow is the dark spot on its upper chest.
Hello,
I think the sparrow in picture #2 is a Fox Sparrow, rather than Song Sparrow.