AZ - Baird's Sparrow - 01/14

Baird's Sparrow - the second of three seen (Grasshopper Sparrow at the rear) on January 14th, 2011. San Rafael Valley, Santa Cruz Co., AZ. January 14th, 2011.

Baird's Sparrow - the third of three seen, with Savannah Sparrow upper right, January 14th, 2011. San Rafael Valley, Santa Cruz Co., AZ. January 14th, 2011.




Baird's Sparrow - the third of three seen on January 14th, 2011. San Rafael Valley, Santa Cruz Co., AZ. January 14th, 2011. All images taken using Canon Powershot A495 hand held with Swarovski HD telescope.

Another highlight from a recent spell in Arizona. Something of a nemesis for me, I expected to Baird's Sparrow to be very difficult and mentally resigned to accepting only the most fleeting of glimpses. However, three glorious hours spent in the San Rafael Valley searching for grassland birds produced no less than 3 Baird's Sparrows, two of which perched up with Savannah and Grasshopper Sparrows for extended periods - way beyond anything I could have hoped for.


Overall, the grasslands seemed quiet with very few birds but the ambiance was fantastically peaceful. I did come across two Sprague's Pipits, photos of which I'll post in the near future.

JPS.