Chirps and Cheeps

It was fun for Bernie and I to catch up to the American Pipit Chris Kundl found at Goat Island.  It's not too often one sees a pipit in Western New York during January.  We all really enjoyed watching it forage, picking and poking in the mud along the rocks and weeds at the water's edge.

The sun was a most welcome sight that day and we had lots of fun picking through the gulls under Chris' guidance, studying a probable Thayer's Gull and learning more of their nuances.  Passerines were nearby and we ended the fun by feeding them seed from our hands.

A couple of days later, I was amazed to find a Field Sparrow with a flock of American Tree Sparrows and Song Sparrow at a local park.  I have a poor photo attached here just to prove it was there!

It's been a strange winter with some uncommon sightings.