Topping the sparrows I observed this day,most in pristine breeding plumage, FIELD SPARROW I can appreciate anytime. Walking through the area between the Rink War Memorial and lake shoreline, I saw the sparrow popped up into a pine tree but the bird flew down to the low shrub. There I watched it closely, a very handsome little devil, FIELD SPARROWs one of my faves.
There were other sparrows as well. A SWAMP on Music Island ,then another really striking bird in the afternoon at lamppost 249. CHIPPING SPARROWS are in force, a small flock at Litchfield Villa Playground,then a larger flock mid afternoon at the western fringes of the ballfields,most in bold plumage. Mingling with DARK EYED JUNCOS,those birds also include males in sooty like tints , that we don't see in wintertime.
Meanwhile ,on the lake,the swallows are quite active.Not a lot of birds, but enough TREE and BARN SWALLOWS to appreciate springtime on this dreary day. Some BARNS were perching on phragmites at the Peninsula thumb.
