[EBB Sightings] first junco

I've had three juncos in our yard here in northwest Walnut Creek since
October 16th.  A red-breasted nuthatch has been a recent regular visitor
along with a ruby-crowned kinglet.  We had our first sighting of a
white-breasted nuthatch here yesterday.

I believe that both the male and female white-crowned sparrows look alike.
What you may be seeing are juvenile white-crowned sparrows, with the
chestnut striping.  I find the easiest way to distinguish between the
gold-crowned and white-crowned sparrows is to look at their bills, absent a
good look at the stripes.  The bill of the white-crowned is yellowish in
color and the gold-crowned bill is sort of a dirty grey.  At our yard the
gold-crowned appears to be somewhat larger than the white-crowned.

Laura Gee
----- Original Message -----
From: "Diane Perry" 
To: ; 
Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2004 9:34 AM
Subject: Re: [EBB Sightings] first junco


> I've had Juncos in my yard for over a week now; probably going on two.  (I
live at the base of Mt. Diablo, near Northgate H.S. on the west side of the
mountain).  I've got about four pairs now, that are nesting (it seems) in
the huge ivy-busy that covers the south-side fence of my backyard.  It is
traditional for several pairs of Juncos to make that ivy-bush their winter
hang-out, every year in my backyard.
> Also, I have approx. 3 pairs of White-Crowned Sparrows that are now
habitual in my backyard.  They've been here for almost 3 weeks now.  What
does the female White-Crowned Sparrow look like?  Does she also have white
stripes on top of her head, or are her stripes more of a "buff", beigey
color?  Coz I am wondering if what I am seeing are female White-crowned
sparrows or if they are Golden-crowned sparrows who are mixing in with the
White-crowned ones.
> --Diane Perry
> Walnut Creek, CA
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