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WESTERN SAVANNAH SPARROW

The western savannah sparrow is recorded as breeding from British Columbia north to the Arctic. In the fall it is a common migrant, passing through western Washington and commonly seen in open fields and tideflats.

These sparrows are striped with brown above; breast white with brown lines on the breast and sides. A close observer may see a yellow spot near the eye, and the edge of the wings shows yellow.

Savannah sparrows nest on the ground. The nest, which is well hidden, is made of grass in which from four to six heavily marked brown eggs are laid.

Taylor and Shaw reported these birds as migrating through our alpine country on Mt. Wow, Paradise, Spray Park, Mountain Meadows and Ararat Ridge, so they are not uncommon during the migrating season. Since this publication was printed, the Savannah sparrow family has been somewhat divided and a new race, the dwarf savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis brooksi), recognized locally and in Canada but not as yet by the A.O.U., may reach the park boundaries at times as it breeds locally on our prairies and tideflats. However, it is doubtful if it ever ascends to our altitudes as it is a bird of the low country.

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OREGON JUNCO

Other common names: Snow bird.

When one watches the flocks of juncos in late fall or winter it may be noted, perhaps, that some birds show more highly colored markings than others, or that the flocks seen in winter may all be brighter than the summer pair at the door. These bright-colored birds are Oregon juncos that have migrated from their summer home in the north.

Nearly everyone knows the juncos by sight if not by name. Many persons just call them "snow birds". They are attractive, with their bright colors, flitting about the door-step, leaving a delicate pattern of foot prints in the snow.

The male junco is black on head and breast, changing abruptly to white on underparts; the back and flanks show reddish; two distinct features are the pinkish-white bill and the outer tail feathers that show white in flight. The markings of the female are like those of the male, only duller.

Juncos nest on the ground, building a nest of grasses with a base of moss or leaves. Three to five white eggs with reddish or brown spots complete the set.

These birds visit us in the park about the time the snow comes, but they do not stay. They will appear again as early as March in their return northward.

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SHUFELDT'S JUNCO

Other common names: Snow bird.

Museum Specimens - Longmire (2700).

The Shufeldt's junco is the breeding bird in western Washington and common he is, distributed from sea-level to the alpine meadows of the Cascades. He has taken to our civilization and, given a garden or vacant lot, will spend the summer there.

In comparison, this bird is much like the Oregon junco except that its colors are more subdued. The black on the head is duller and the flanks more e rusty.

In our park, these juncos are common breeders from boundary to tree limits. Reflection Lake has many pairs and they are very common around Yakima Park and Clover Lake. Then again they are found nesting commonly about the Nisqually Entrance and other low areas.

Nesting begins the first week in May in the low country, but not until July at Paradise. They lay three to five eggs of two distinct types. The more common has a dull, very pale bluish background with dull reddish spots; the other is almost white, immaculate, with bright spots. Two broods a year are raised except, perhaps, at the highest altitudes.

Shufeldt's juncos are common breeders on the Tacoma prairies that are really tributary to our mountain. They are birds that readily adapt themselves to new surroundings. In the olden days before our garbage departments were installed, empty cans were dumped out on the prairies. As soon as these cans get old and rusty the juncos used them for nesting shelters, and their grass nests were not only hidden but kept dry.

A pair of early-nesting birds found Paradise still covered with snow so they built in the basement of one of the buildings, placing the nest in the wall under the ceiling.

Some birds occasionally break the rule and nest on the lower branches of our firs. I have one record of a nest twenty five feet from the ground near the end of a Douglas fir limb.

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WESTERN CHIPPING SPARROW

Other common names: Chippie; Hair-bird.

Museum Specimens - Reflection Lake (4600).

The chipping sparrow, so plentiful in the Puget Sound country, summers with us, too, but in restricted numbers and places. They are not birds of the deep woods and so we have to climb to the subalpine country to find them. They are rather common breeders about Reflection Lake. Taylor and Shaw record them as migrants at Spray Park, and as common in Yakima Park in August, and also seen at Glacier Basin.

This sparrow can be recognized by its small size, solid light-gray underparts and chestnut-colored crown. The back is grayish striped with brown; tail fairly long with a decided wedge.

They are low nesters, choosing the lower branches of our firs, or a rose bush or berry vine. The nest is prettily shaped of rootlets and grass and, when possible, lined with hair - white, black or red, depending on the color of the horse or cow in the vicinity. Three or four (we have records of five) blue eggs wreathed with black or brown, are laid.

A neighbor had the habit, after brushing her hair, of throwing the "combings" out of the window. She was surprised one day to find in the rose arbor a nest lined with readily-recognized brown hair, and containing three blue spotted eggs in the cup.

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GAMBEL'S SPARROW

Other common names: Intermediate Sparrow.

Museum Specimens - Sourdough Ridge (6800).

Gambel's sparrows migrate in great numbers through central Washington and along the eastern slopes of the Cascades. They do not stop here but journey up into British Columbia and Alaska to breed. It is too high on Mount Rainier and there is too much snow when they pass through in the spring, but in the fall, in September, they appear in our open alpine areas. On Sourdough Ridge, with its clumps of thick, dwarfed trees, they are exceedingly common, migrating in company with the golden-crowned sparrows. Taylor and Shaw record them in numbers, migrating through Sunset Park.

These sparrows are bush-loving birds, migrating through heavy cover but stopping at times in spring in the top of a small tree to render a few verses of their delightful song, or in fall to rest in their feeding and perhaps to enjoy a bit of warmth from the sun. If one draws too near, down they go in a dive and are lost in the cover.

All intermediate sparrows are recognized by the bright black and white stripes on the crown; breast grayish turning to white on the abdomen; back brownish with heavy stripes of darker brown.

The nest is usually on the ground, sometimes in a bush, and is made with rootlets, grass and weed stems well lined with grass. Three to five eggs are laid - greenish-white heavily marked with rich, reddish brown.

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PUGET SOUND SPARROW

Other common names: formerly Nuttall's Sparrow.

Museum Specimen - Longmire (2700).

In the latest Check List of the American Ornithologist's Union (1931), the range of the Nuttall's sparrow was cut in half. The California bird keeps the original name, and Oregon and Washington have a new race - the Puget Sound sparrow - that is supposed to be smaller and darker.

Although it is very well known and summers in the low country, we have few records in the park. One was seen and collected at Longmire on May 6, 1934, and in the fall an occasional bird is seen passing through the brush near our boundaries - usually a bird in juvenile plumage. We have no breeding records.

Puget Sound sparrows are great favorites with town people. Their sweet song, rendered from the top of a bush or small alder, is described by Dawson in his book, "Birds of Washington", as follows: Hee, wudge, i-wudge, i-wudge, i-weee. It is good, and recognizable. It may be heard at night as some person or automobile passing by awakens him - he just has to render one verse!

In color and description they are duplicates of the Gambel sparrows, but smaller and perhaps darker. Juvenile birds have a reddish stripe on the crown instead of black, contrasting with gray instead of with white. They are also alike in nesting and eggs.

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GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW

Museum Specimen - Yakima Park (6400).

This truly handsome sparrow is a spring and fall migrant in the park - very abundant in September and seen sparingly about the first week in May at low boundaries. He is larger than most sparrows and in spring should be recognized by his bright golden and black crown.

These birds are active in the bushes and at times may be seen feeding in the open on a grassy lawn. Their visit with us in the spring is short - not more than a week - as the birds hurry home to nest. More of them are seen in autumn as they come through slowly; in fact, we have a few records of birds wintering about Puget Sound.

There is a heavy migration on the Sourdough Range in September. The low, thick trees are to their liking and in this shelter adult birds with faded crowns and others in distinctly juvenile coats, are seen. They are silent birds and a note from them is seldom heard.

Golden-crowned sparrows measure well over seven inches. Their body plumage is much like that of the Puget Sound sparrow, but duller and browner. The gold and black crown distinguishes them from the smaller bird with its black and white crown stripes.

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Descriptions continued...