SPARROW WORKSHOP REPORT – April 5 & 6, 2016, with Dennis Paulson.

Our mentor, Dennis Paulson, retired director of the Slater Museum, Master Birding instructor, and authority on shorebirds, dragonflies, and everything else that flies, brought ABC’ers up to snuff on LBJs!

Emily and Kevin study sparrows while Dennis Paulson stands by.

Larus gull dominates sparrows at Slater.

Rufous & Anna’s Hummingbird skeletons.

Margie, our leader Dennis Paulson, Ken Brown, and Ryan Wiese birdwatching.

Dennis Paulson surrounded by Slater Museum groupies.

Sparrows!

Some interesting factoids included:
ANY sparrow can have a breast spot, not just those who are supposed to.
That rufous on a Vesper’s wing is at the WRIST, in cast you thought that was the shoulder.
Sagebrush Sparrows run around like mini Roadrunners.
A notched tail can look square, then round, as the bird spreads it.
Fox Sparrow subspecies leapfrog each other in migration patterns.
Most birds that live in thickets cock their tails, including many sparrows, not just wrens.
Chipping Sparrows are the only sparrows that migrate in juvenile plumage.
Yes, Juncos are breeding more on the west side than in time past. It’s not just your imagination.

After the classroom instruction, a fun time was had by all in the museum, noticing how tiny the specimens were and how different Song Sparrows are compared to Lincoln’s Sparrows, as opposed to living birds. A few non-Sparrows were also admired, such as the hummingbird skeletons and the Bat Mobile.

Thanks, Dennis. You can be sure we’ll be after you again for more instruction in the future.