[Birdtalk] White-throated Sparrow

[Dave Hanscom]

My wife and I went for a rainy walk today on the trail along the west side 
of Deer Creek Reservoir.  As we returned to the car, I heard a bird 
singing in a bush between the trail and the Heber Creeper tracks.  It was 
a familiar song, and I commented that it sounded like a confused Black- 
capped Chickadee.  My first look indicated that it was actually a White- 
crowned Sparrow, but it quickly dawned on me that this was neither.  The 
song was actually the familiar "Old Sam Peabody Peabody Peabody" that I 
used to hear in New England.  A second look confirmed that the bird not 
only had white and black stripes on its head, but also a very white 
throat.  A nice surprise on a day when I didn't expect to see much of any 
bird activity.

If you're interested in looking for this guy, it was just a couple hundred 
yards from the trailhead near Soldier Hollow.  There's also an osprey nest
on a platform just east of the parking lot.  Mom was sitting on the nest, 
so I expect we'll be seeing chicks before too long.

Enjoy.

Dave Hanscom

PS: I wonder if this is the same White-throated Sparrow Ned Bixler 
reported about a month ago at Deer Creek State Park, about a half mile 
east (across the water) of where I saw the bird today....