Troutbirder II

Troutbirder II
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Thursday, April 28, 2016

LBJ'S




When I was a fledgling birder some years ago, I was a little puzzled when a more experienced birder used the term LBJ's. Being a retired history teacher I immediately thought of the former President. The term didn't fit the conversation we had been having though about birds. Lady Bird Johnson I'm thinking.  Not her either. It was Little Brown Jobs. Small nondescript birds that are hard to identify. Like sparrows it turned out.

Later, Mr. Science (Gary Erickson), introduced me to  them.  What an interesting and colorful collection they make. Coming in a variety of shades and colors they can be found in many different habitats. They are a  world of birds unto their own. I could  see I would have my work cut out for me to learn all about them. So it was today that I knew right away that it was a small flock of migrating white throated sparrows foraging beneath my bird feeder. Take note of the brilliant white throat and yellow markings on the head. Nothing drab there for sure….

I’ve already seen Fox Sparrows in the same area.  Bold and Bright  they were.
And the Harris Sparrow....
Plus a much rarer Lark Sparrow

There are at least 35 bird species of sparrows in North America.  There are about 15 species of  them that can be found in most areas of North America, some more abundant and widespread than others. These are the American Tree Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, Le Conte's Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, and White-throated Sparrow. They are all native except the ubiquitous House Sparrow which is an import from England.
Last but not least is  the strikingly marked, oversized sparrow of the East, feather in bold black and warm reddish-browns.
Rufous Sided Towhee


 

20 comments:

  1. :-)
    Well said.
    This year our Goldfinch population dropped big time. I am so sad. I have no idea why. We had so many in years past.
    Have a great bird watching,
    Carla

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  2. I am not real good at the LBJ's but I do like the Harris Sparrow and can identify him:)

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  3. We have a lot of those LBJs around here and I don't even pretend to know which ones they are! I don't have nearly enough brain cells!

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  4. I have a lot of trouble identifying the sparrows that come close to my window. I couldn't imagine trying to ID them at a distance!

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  5. This is my favourite subject... and now I know for sure where our house sparrows have got to. Not seen one for years.

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  6. I enjoy seeing a few visitors from the sparrow family as they head through to the north. I saw fox and Harris about the same time.

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  7. For a long time I thought a sparrow was a sparrow. Although they are still all one and the same to me, at least some part of me now knows better.

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  8. I love to hear the white-crowned sparrow singing its little heart out at this time of year, and the song sparrow now and then. I love all the LBJs in my neighborhood! :-)

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  9. Good on you for learning to identify LBJ's. They are very difficult to get to know as we see very little of them.

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  10. We called them LBBs (little brown birds) but I like LBJ better. I am helpless trying to identify them but this post shows that they really are different. One of my favorite birds is that Rufous Sided Towhee. I love how they scratch in the debris like chickens looking for food.

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  11. Thank you. I feel vindicated by this post since LBJs are all that come to my bird feeder. I've consoled myself by thinking of them as the bird proletariat.

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  12. Ha! I thought about Lady Bird Johnson too. I rely on my birder friends to identify my feathered visitors. Thank you!

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  13. This is quite interesting. I am always wondering what those LBJs are myself. Now I will think of them as LBJs.

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  14. My mother was a "bird expert", even knew each one by their songs...but I can't say the same. Thanks for all the info. I just love the little ones that honor me with a visit.

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  15. I have WAY too many LBJ's at my feeders these days. Mine are Pine Siskins --and I was hoping they'd move on to other areas after being here most of the winter...Not my favorite bird for sure!!!!

    Happy May Day... I'll publish a blog post tomorrow.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  16. The Rufous-Sided Towhee has always been one of my favorite birds - though I haven't seen one for years!

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  17. Fun post, TB - I love the Towhee photo!

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  18. We see a number of birds we can't identify too. I've learned what many are but the ones who remain unknown we call 'grackles'. This was a great introduction, TB.

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  19. Hi Troutbirder, What an interesting post. I sure would have thought LBJs were the same as your first thoughts. See, I'm still learning something every day. Thank you for Little Brown Jobs. Enjoyed your photos here. Wish folks would take more pics of Sparrows. Very nice post!

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  20. I've heard the term LGB's (little gray birds). Same idea.

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