The annual Sparrow Drive in Weekiwachee Preserve, Hernando County, Florida is one of the coolest birding experiences we have ever had. Kudos to Marianne Korosy for all the work she does on behalf of the sparrows.

30+ people spent a sunny, cool morning flushing sparrows in a recently burned field. We walked in a line repeatedly, section by section, toward a line of mist nets set up across the field. Everyone yelled and clapped their hands as we walked and the sparrows hopped up in the grass in front of us. Birds flushed into the mist nets were extracted, banded and released on site. The sparrow drives are limited to 40 participants so sign up for the Bird Brains list service to be notified of the next banding event.

Birds captured during our sparrow drive include:

2 Wilson’s Snipe (not banded)

1 Henslow’s Sparrow (life bird)

5 Grasshopper Sparrow (A. s. pratensis)

8 Savannah Sparrow

9 Swamp Sparrow

3 House Wren

1 Sedge Wren

 

 

 

During the sparrow drive we ran into Bill Phelan of the Florida Panhandle. We have crossed birding paths with Bill seven times in five states. Two of the most memorable include the Adirondack Birding Festival in 2012 where we got our lifer Black-backed Woodpecker and the Cape Cod Birding Festival in 2014 where we were on a pelagic with ‘Big Year’ birder Greg Miller. We always know we will have a great day of birding if we see Bill!

On the walk back to the car from the field we saw a Great-horned Owl nest.

A quick stop at the Baycare ponds in Clearwater on the way home rewarded us with some great ducks including Canvasback, Redheads and Gadwall.

 

Next stop – Winter birding in the Adirondacks!

Trip : Total Species:   48   Year Birds:  12  Life Birds: 1

2015 : Year Birds: 95   Life Birds: 2

Here’s the list: 2015 Bird List