Here Fox Sparrows are a winter bird - I very rarely see them and that's usually when there's snow on the ground. I think they head north to the Canadian Maritime Provinces to breed.

I haven't seen juncos for about a week so they've probably headed north too.

Our most numerous spring birds are hordes of grackles, red-winged blackbirds, and cowbirds. Still waiting for the first hummingbird and orioles.

Claire

I just found pictures of a gathering of confusing little brown sparrows in my yard in February, 2011.

The first picture is of a Savannah Sparrow (I think) on the left, and a Fox Sparrow on the right. Both of them are streaky brown sparrows. I'm sure of the Fox Sparrow but I always have trouble distinguishing Savannah and Song Sparrows.

They were soon joined by an American Tree Sparrow (top) of similar coloring.

Identification of little brown streaky sparrows can give you heartburn, but I'm still happy to see them in the winter.

Claire

Well, the fox sparrows are bigger than either of the others, of course, but identification of the smaller ones can be difficult. Just this morning, there were either tree sparrows or chipping sparrows in the back yard, and I couldn't tell which. At this time of year, it could be either, with the tree sparrows getting ready to leave for Canada, and the chippies just arriving from the south.

My tree sparrows are gone (I think), but then I thought the juncos were gone too. I just saw a junco.

And here is a very big streaky sparrow-like bird; a female Red-winged Blackbird today. Lots of red-wings here now.

Claire