https://ebird.org/checklist/S74785333
There's a saying "When it rains,it pours". That was true today for me on two breaks ( including lunch) and quick looks. Three rarities on my watch during a wet misty day helps bring down the birds.
A first prize started with Prospect Lake. Stopping to wipe my windshield dry as my wipers didn't work,I took a quick look at the lake. In the western middle, a gliding peaceful looking RED THROATED LOON in basic ( or winter) plumage is a great start.
I figure then let me a take a quick look at the Peninsula sumacs. It wasn't long before I spotted a perched LINCOLN'S SPARROW on one of the sumacs; it soon dropped down to the lawn. At around this point I thought I also saw a siskin ,streaky bold back turned. My guess was answered quickly when I spotted 3 PINE SISKINS with the Lincoln's at the pedestrian path edge in front of the sumacs. Wow.. a really great start to my morning. But it doesn't end there.
A routine check of the butterfly meadow ( as it's in my work zone), I stopped my vehicle and watch 4 Goldfinches weigh down a tall Evening Primrose flower at the south side path. And lo and behold a Pine Siskin joins them, pecking away at the petals. I eventually saw 6 there, half feeding on a Joe Pye Weed flower . Can my day get any better than this ?
Yes it can!
It's now my lunch hour. And a stroll thru field 6 and 5 flushed up some sparrows I could Id right away. But I figured Savannah's as I saw one in the alley between both fields. I figure " walk away" and come back. Five minutes later as I'm stalking I see a larger Sparrow thru the chain links fences of field 6 's first base dugout. Moving so slowly I peeked around the fence in the direction of home plate. I'll be darn! It's a VESPER SPARROW! A drab young adult ,it featured the prominent white eye ring. It actually moved inside the dugout and thereby I named it Casey ( if you know the story of mighty Casey 3x ⚾).
More birders came and got the Vesper. And due to their looking, I also saw the juvenile WHITE CROWNED SPARROW next to field 7 dugout.
Something about hotspot dugout cause I was "batting" .400 today! 🤗