joecoolbrew 的最愛

Hybrid Clay-colored Sparrow x Field Sparrow (I don't see that option in iNat).

About ten days ago I visited Fletcher Creek Ecological Preserve in Flamborough, Hamilton with Laura and we came across an interesting sparrow. It was singing a classic Clay-colored Sparrow (CCSP) song from suitable looking breeding habitat. I played a snippet of tape to bring it in so we could see it (I know I know, I'm a bad birder). It flew in and circled us for a minute or so, with a Field Sparrow (FISP) keeping close company. I pointed the bird out as the CCSP to Laura, but then corrected myself and declared it a FISP because it had a weak facial pattern, bright bill, not much gray in the nape, and I had just seen a FISP near it. Eventually the bird sang, I thought "huh, guess this is a CCSP after all, with the light playing a factor, or something". I managed a few poor photos and carelessly ticked it as a CCSP in my eBird checklist, and we went on our day. Besides, we were mainly after insects this day and birding was sort of secondary.
After a recent discussion with Ross Wood, who mentioned seeing a potential hybrid FISP x CCSP at this location, I immediately recalled the interesting bird that Laura and I observed. I think it is a hybrid FISP x CCSP. Most of my photos were crap but this one turned out, though the angle isn't ideal. I will see if I can dig up any other photos if they are worth posting.
The bird superficially resembled a CCSP, with a weaker facial pattern and brighter pink bill. It had some chestnut/rufous tones in the crown and in the cheek, and it did not have much gray in the nape.
An interesting hybrid that I haven't seen before. There are a handful of eBird records in North America so this one isn't too unpredecented (if it is indeed this hybrid combo), but neat all the same!

Continuing hybrid Clay-coloured x Field Sparrow. More details found here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/86905201

It was singing a song reminiscent of the first half of a FISP song, and it was also singing a CCSP. At times it sang a song with started like FISP and finished with low buzzes like CCSP.