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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hamhed" data-source="post: 3159428" data-attributes="member: 70825">Monday 29thWarbler Woods is a private 125 acre preserve owned by Susan and Don Schaezler.  It was Susan that we contacted to receive permission to access the property.  She reports regularly on eBird and it was there that we learned she has Harris Sparrows coming to the feeders that are in several locations in Warbler Woods.  Made up of acres of grasslands, second growth and some mature woodlands, there was plenty of habitat to explore.  Except for a small drip at the house, water in any form was absent; some sort of water feature at the feeding station would have surely been an asset.The morning was clear but cold, near frost conditions.  No wind and quickly rising temperatures made for eventually comfortable conditions.  Using the provided map, we found the feeding station with a sort of waist-high blind near the old barn first.  It was very active though House Sparrows, Doves and Cardinals made up most of the action.  They were all very flighty so we guessed some raptor had been making regular strafing runs.  We found out later that was correct.   A male and an immature Harris Sparrow soon joined the rest of the feeding frenzy.  They too seemed extremely nervous but we got a few pictures and left to wander the property for another 6-7 hours.  Much of our time was searching the grasslands.  A LeConte’s Sparrow was seen here a few weeks previously.  Typically, they winter in wet grasslands which was not a habitat found at this location.  However, we ran into Susan making the rounds and she gave us explicit directions on where the bird had been seen.  A little wary of chiggers, we covered the field completely and stirred up a few Vesper and Field Sparrows and one Lark Sparrow.  Luckily, we didn’t stir up the chiggers.  Nine Sparrows species that day, which also included White-crowned, White-throated, Savannah and Chipping.  Other highlights were a single Verdin, Lesser Goldfinches (at the water drip by the house), Carolina Chickadee (we’d seen none in the Valley), Common Ground Dove, one Bewick’s Wren (our only one this trip), and a number of House Finches (rare in the Valley).  Except for the unidentified accipiter that passed through the feeding area and both of the common Vultures, we saw surprisingly none others. We left in late afternoon to ready ourselves for tomorrow’s flight, thinking maybe we would return to Warbler Woods in the morning.</blockquote>

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