On April 21, 2019, Easter Sunday, I noticed an unremarkable sparrow in the yard that I couldn’t identify without using binoculars.  Once I saw the bird through my binoculars I realized immediately that it was a Lincoln’s sparrow, a species I had logged in our yard only once before many years ago.  In fact I have worried from time to time that I may have misidentified my original sighting.  But in this case I was sure of my identification and had pictures to confirm my identification. 

I’ve often preached the value of factors other than appearance in making identifications.  When I opened our window shades before good light the next morning, I saw a single bird foraging in the yard.  It was not one of the sparrow species which are common at this time of year, nor was it one of the other FIVE species of sparrows (Spotted towhee, Dark-eyed junco, House sparrow, Golden-crowned sparrow, White-crowned sparrow) which had been in our yard the previous day.  (Two week’s previously I could have also added a Song sparrow and a Fox sparrow, but they have since moved on.)   The only sparrow foraging in the yard before first light was the Lincoln’s sparrow!  

On a somewhat different subject, on April 23 I was birding in the yard and saw my first confirmed arrival of a Brown-headed cowbird, a male (no photo).  I also had several visits by one or more Orange-crowned warblers.  On one visit with the warbler bathing in the watercourse, a male Yellow-rumped Audubon warbler flew into the watercourse and began bathing within a foot of the Orange-crowned warbler.  As they flew from the watercourse three more Orange-crowned warblers flew into the yard!  

So I have to conclude that the spring migration is on!  (And as of Wednesday, April 24th afternoon, the Lincoln’s sparrow was still with us.)