golden-crowned sparrow

canada 2019

This is a common wintering bird in California. We usually have them through the end of April after which they depart for breeding grounds in Alaska and British Columbia. They sing throughout the year, a melancholy "Oh dear me" or "Three blind mice." However gold miners in...

Do the yellow beak borders indicate a young bird?

Golden -crown Sparrow singing on Atigun Pass on the Dalton Highway, Alaska.

Immature ?

The golden-crowned sparrows arrived two weeks early this year. The white-crowned sparrows arrived a few days later. I'm always happy to see our fall/winter friends arriving.

Juvenile male golden-crowned sparrow is nice enough to pose in that way only he can.

I found this young golden-crowned sparrow hopping practically in front of me this morning as I leaned against an oak looking at two adult golden-crowned. Hmmm.

I'm sure you will, wee one. You're quite cute as you are as well.

for breeding season. This is what they're supposed to look like after they've finished moulting.

Thanks for all the well wishes, folks. I'm feeling fine today, thanks. Had a wonderful day at Wonderwool. Now I'll just upload some more Golden-crowned Sparrows (have to use up my backlog of those) and go pack. Dinner at our favorite pub with daughter and son-in-love tomorrow, then evening train...

Seems to be listening for distant footsteps ;)

Three silly poses from a scruffy. moulting Golden-crowned Sparrow. Have a good laugh, folks.

Three silly poses from a scruffy. moulting Golden-crowned Sparrow. This one's the silliest, IMHO. Have a good laugh, folks.

Three silly poses from a scruffy. moulting Golden-crowned Sparrow. Have a good laugh, folks.

This little moulter gave me a whole series of cute poses. I'm saving some for Saturday Fun shots, which I may post tomorrow night (Friday here) to be in synch with Saturday back home.

This little moulter gave me a whole series of cute poses. I'm saving some for Saturday Fun shots, which I may post tomorrow night (Friday here) to be in synch with Saturday back home.

Taken at the Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline at approximately 8m. Seems all the little sparrows around here are a variation on a theme...brown on brown, hint of black, white underside, and sometimes a little color or stripes on the head. Some days, what I wouldn't give for some more colorful...