Our Malheur Field Station birding group had a remarkable sighting today. Five of us found a small flock of Bushtits at Page Springs. One was a boldly marked black-eared variety.
One OBOL communicant today said she had one at her Harney County home for some time in recent years. Then came this reply from a professional bushtit biologist:
“In fact, I would like any info about sightings of black-eared forms in Oregon and elsewhere. I am currently updating my Bushtit BNA chapter and the only recorded information (both live and study skins) I can find says that the black-eared form is never seen north of the mountains near the Mexican border.
“Dr Sarah A. Sloane
Associate Professor
Dept. of Biology
Division of Natural Sciences
University of Maine at Farmington
Farmington, Maine 04938″
I failed to get a picture today so we will be going back and looking for that flock. This time I will have my camera at ready.
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By: LAST BIRDS…OF 2019. HAPPY BIRD YEAR, EVERYBODY | Towheeblog on December 31, 2019
at 5:16 pm