Zonotrichia passage through the Highlands
May 3rd, 2022. Golden-&-white-crowned sparrows are flooding through our neighborhood’s garden rows and brush borders. Sibley says they winter together throughout much of the west, so I guess it’s natural that they seek each others’ company in migration as well. I bought the Nikon P1000 mostly for filming slow-moving faraway mountain goats. Haven’t experimented much with flittier subjects. ADD warblers ain’t happenin. But the Zonotrichia genus sparrows are staid by comparison. Rain and wind has kinda grounded em, and several hung out long enough for me to aim and focus.
I left the audio on these clips. Apologies for the camera’s autofocus noise; optimally I should’ve attached an external shotgun microphone. But with my new hearing aids I can actually pick up that white-crowned’s highnotes. Thank you technology! And Gunalchéesh, shakeedatáxʼx̱, dentalia on top of the head (white-crowned sparrow)!
Migrant stopover on Woosh eelʼóox̱ʼu héen, river that’s murky together (Mword River)
April 22nd, 2021 Cathy and I walked out the western riverbank toward Wigeon Ponds to see who was passing through. Brought the spotscope and phone-attachment for birds patient enough to sit for movie portraits.
