Recently the wildlife in Live Oak Canyon has seemed very sparse. I'm not sure if it is that birds are nesting and not out flying around or if there are fewer birds because of no migration right now? But one encouraging development for me was that on a day with an hour walk when I only took photos of one bird, that bird ended up being a bird I've not identified before: a lark sparrow.
Adults are large for sparrows, have a thick bill, have a dark-streaked brown back, white underparts except for a dark central spot, chestnut cheeks and crown sides, a pale white eyebrow and crown stripes, and a black mustache stripe. The corners of an otherwise dark tail are also white.
So is this a lark or a sparrow? Sounds like you are saying it is a sparrow. It has a confusing name.
ReplyDelete