[NatureNS] RE: Singing Fox Sparrows

Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:55:04 -0300
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
From: Blake Maybank <maybank@ns.sympatico.ca>
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At 10:46 PM 30/03/2011, John Sollows wrote:
>By the way, this morning I heard an unusual bird song near our place 
>on Wyman Road.  As I approached, the singer flew.   Turned out to be 
>a fox sparrow.  I have never heard one signing before.  We do have a 
>pair, here.  Don't they tend to breed further north?

The Fox Sparrow's Eastern breeding range is indeed mostly further 
north -- the species is widespread and abundant across the island of 
Newfoundland, and through southern Labrador, and across central 
Quebec (and the Gaspe Peninsula) and northern Ontario.  They like 
cold forest edges, and don't occur north of the tree line.  But 
smaller populations occur in the Maritimes.   The current atlas shows 
Fox Sparrows breeding in numerous locations in NW New Brunswick (at 
higher elevations).

In Nova Scotia, as Bev Crowell mentioned, they do breed on some 
islands off the south shore, including Bon Portage Island and Seal 
Island.  There is also a thin breeding range along the outer coasts 
and islands from Lunenburg Bay up to Canso.   Near HRM, for example, 
they breed in Prospect, Lower Prospect, Crystal Crescent Prov. Park, 
Taylor Head PP, Flying Point off Martinique Beach, and other locales.

In Cape Breton they also breed on the coastal margins of SE Cape 
Breton, but the province's Fox Sparrow stronghold is the Cape Breton 
Highlands, where they are routine.

In most of Nova Scotia Fox Sparrows appear as migrants, mostly in 
spring.   And male Foxies often sing at this time, presumably being 
full of the energies of spring.   I recently had two Fox Sparrows 
singing for eight days, but they moved on, likely to Newfoundland 
(where local birders have noticed a big arrival in the past few 
days).    The local Fox Sparrows at nearby Prospect don't usually 
appear until the second week of April.

Cheers,

Blake


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blake Maybank
maybank@ns.sympatico.ca
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakemaybank/
902-852-2077

Editor, "Nova Scotia Birds"
http://nsbs.chebucto.org

Organiser, Maritimes Nature Travel Club
http://tinyurl.com/naturetravel

author, "Birding Sites of Nova Scotia"
http://tinyurl.com/birdingns
Downloadable Nova Scotia Maps for inside front and back covers:
http://tinyurl.com/mr627d

White's Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada  
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At 10:46 PM 30/03/2011, John Sollows wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">By the way, this morning I heard
an unusual bird song near our place on Wyman Road.&nbsp; As I approached,
the singer flew.&nbsp;&nbsp; Turned out to be a fox sparrow.&nbsp; I have
never heard one signing before.&nbsp; We do have a pair, here.&nbsp;
Don’t they tend to breed further north?</blockquote><br>
The Fox Sparrow's Eastern breeding range is indeed mostly further north
-- the species is widespread and abundant across the island of
Newfoundland, and through southern Labrador, and across central Quebec
(and the Gaspe Peninsula) and northern Ontario.&nbsp; They like cold
forest edges, and don't occur north of the tree line.&nbsp; But smaller
populations occur in the Maritimes.&nbsp;&nbsp; The current atlas shows
Fox Sparrows breeding in numerous locations in NW New Brunswick (at
higher elevations).<br><br>
In Nova Scotia, as Bev Crowell mentioned, they do breed on some islands
off the south shore, including Bon Portage Island and Seal Island.&nbsp;
There is also a thin breeding range along the outer coasts and islands
from Lunenburg Bay up to Canso.&nbsp;&nbsp; Near HRM, for example, they
breed in Prospect, Lower Prospect, Crystal Crescent Prov. Park, Taylor
Head PP, Flying Point off Martinique Beach, and other locales.&nbsp;
<br><br>
In Cape Breton they also breed on the coastal margins of SE Cape Breton,
but the province's Fox Sparrow stronghold is the Cape Breton Highlands,
where they are routine.<br><br>
In most of Nova Scotia Fox Sparrows appear as migrants, mostly in
spring.&nbsp;&nbsp; And male Foxies often sing at this time, presumably
being full of the energies of spring.&nbsp;&nbsp; I recently had two Fox
Sparrows singing for eight days, but they moved on, likely to
Newfoundland (where local birders have noticed a big arrival in the past
few days).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The local Fox Sparrows at nearby Prospect
don't usually appear until the second week of April.<br><br>
Cheers,<br><br>
Blake<br><br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
Blake Maybank<br>
maybank@ns.sympatico.ca<br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakemaybank/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakemaybank/<br>
</a>902-852-2077<br><br>
Editor, &quot;Nova Scotia Birds&quot;<br>
<a href="http://nsbs.chebucto.org/" eudora="autourl">
http://nsbs.chebucto.org<br><br>
</a>Organiser, Maritimes Nature Travel Club<br>
<font color="#0000FF"><u>
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/naturetravel" eudora="autourl">
http://tinyurl.com/naturetravel</a></u></font> <br><br>
author, &quot;Birding Sites of Nova Scotia&quot;<br>
<font color="#0000FF"><u>
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/birdingns" eudora="autourl">
http://tinyurl.com/birdingns<br>
</a></u></font>Downloadable Nova Scotia Maps for inside front and back
covers:<br>
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/mr627d" eudora="autourl">
http://tinyurl.com/mr627d</a> <br><br>
White's Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada </body>
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