Harris's Sparrow, and Birding with Old Friends

I had seen a post about the Harris's Sparrow a few weeks back when I was in Florida and figured there was no chance it would still be there when I returned and I had forgotten about it until yesterday's post on OntBirds, that it was still there.  It's a bird I didn't even have on my radar during my 2012 Big Year, as one of the few places I didn't get was the midwest during, where it makes it's way from north Texas, in the winter, to northern Canada in the summer.  This one overwintered here in Ontario and was still here as of a report yesterday.

I decided to head out there this morning and, in the cold, early spring morning, was able, with the help of a couple from New Westminster, find the bird perched atop a pine tree right next to the house and feeders it has been frequenting this past winter.   But more than finding the bird, which was 602 on my ABA Life List, was meeting birders I had seen elsewhere in Ontario over the past 15 months.  The first birders to arrive after I did, were Doug and Marilyn whom I had met nearly a year ago on the "sand road" at St. Williams Conservation Area, a section of the Bruce Trail near Longpoint.  We didn't find the Acadian Flycatcher we had come for that day, but had a good time looking.

Another gentleman arrived shortly after Marilyn and I found the Harris's Sparrow,(alas, husband Doug missed it), and though we had never introduced each other to the other, I recognized him from another chase last year.  Finally, Fred, whom I had met many times in Hamilton, dropped in on the party and said hello.

Getting back to the Harris's Sparrow, I saw it but did not get a photograph.  Now, I can't say this for certain, and it's only a theory that cannot be proven scientifically, but I am beginning to believe that some, hyper-sensitive birds, the ones that would score high on intelligence tests, say,(chickens that can play tic-tac-toe excluded), can somehow sense when a camera is about to be pointed at them.  Sure I have photographed many hundreds of birds, but they are just of average intelligence.  But there is a large handful of birds that, no matter how long they stay still while I have the binoculars on them, fly the nanosecond I reach for my camera.

And it was too cold and I had to eventually leave for work, so if the bird is still here a week from now, when I return from a work road trip,I shall return and and see if the Harris's Sparrow will pose for one good photo.

Aside from that, the folks on Ellis Rd have a nice selection of birds coming within sight of their front yard.  I don't often make day lists, but in about an hour I saw:

Harris's Sparrow, House Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, American Tree Sparrow, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, Mallard, American Crow, Hairy Woodpecker, European Starling, Red-winged Blackbird, Song Sparrow and unexpectedly, a flyover of a Great Blue Heron.

I am heading out on the road next week to New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Florida and Michigan, so hope to find at least one new lifer along the way.