A Lincoln’s Sparrow leaps to feed on seeds of Indian grass (photo by Gary Shackelford).
As summer progresses, the sounds of insects begin to fill the void created by the waning of the calls of our resident birds, but there is still lots of avian activity at Fair Meadows. In late summer I look forward to the arrival of migrating sparrows. The period from late August through October provides a bountiful source of seeds for some of our songbirds, not only the year-round residents, but also migrants that are passing through on their way to points farther south and species that will spend the winter here.
In prairies, sparrows forage both on the ground and on vegetation, consuming a diet that includes seeds of native grasses and forbs. The diversity of plants in the prairies during this time provides abundant choices for sparrows with wide dietary preferences. Depending on the sturdiness of the food plant, above-ground seeds are taken by perching on the source plants or by lunging from adjacent plants with their outstretched bill.
A White-crowned Sparrow feeds on goldenrod seeds (photo by Gary Shackelford).
One of my favorite techniques for observing and photographing birds is to set up a photo blind or to don a camouflage drape that hides me and my photo gear, positioning myself at a location that is frequented by my target species, and then waiting to see what happens. I watch some of our sparrows reach out from stems of Indian grass to snatch seeds from nearby clusters or even leap up to grab some of those seeds in midair. I observe other sparrows prying rosinweed seeds from a tight cluster or delicately collecting seeds of goldenrod, white vervain, Indian plantain, or giant ragweed. I hear the occasional songs of a few birds that continue to sing, like the male White-crowned Sparrow, which sings year-round. This practice of observing while slowing down—popularized by Joan E. Strassmann in her excellent book, Slow Birding—has greatly enhanced my knowledge and appreciation of bird behavior.
A juvenile Song Sparrow feeds on prairie rosinweed seeds (photo by Gary Shackelford).
Sparrows that we see regularly in our prairies during late summer and autumn include Song Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, and Dark-eyed Junco. The White-throated Sparrow, which is more of a woodland species, occasionally shows up in our prairies. Every year I enjoy photographing these small, mostly gray or brown birds with stout bills. Some species can be a challenge to identify, especially when immature, but photos of good quality can be a big help in this regard. I confess to sometimes fearing that the fall migration will be a poor one for sparrows, but thus far I have invariably been proven wrong. This year has been another good one. But one species, the White-throated Sparrow, has not shown up in our prairies. To see that one, I’ll head for our woodland.
Written by Gary Shackelford, Fair Meadows Sanctuary resident manager
Cover image by Gary Shackelford. A Field Sparrow feeds on seeds in a golden-hued prairie at Fair Meadows Sanctuary.
