Thursday's Bird Watch

 This is a photo of a Chipping Sparrow I took on May 17th at nearby Buell County Park. Chipping Sparrows can easily be overlooked, or perhaps miss-identified as an immature White-crowner Sparrow.  But their bright red crown and sharply contrasting white eyebrow should be a clue that this is something different, and it is also smaller than any of the other sparrows.  In fact, it is the same size as a Black-capped Chickadee.  Most interesting about this finding at Buell County Park, is the fact that is the third year in a row that we have identified a Chipping Sparrow at this exact location, and I mean within a few feet, but this was the first time it's been photographed. Chipping Sparrows are migratory birds, spending their winters in Mexico, and their summers up here.  Next week's Bus Birding Trips for the Village Birders on the 6th and the 8th will be to Buell County Park and finding this bird will be our main target.