[obol] Photos: Clay-colored Sparrow and Sabine's Gull

[Greg Gillson]

Shawneen Finnegan sent me a photo taken through her binoculars of a 
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW on Oak Island at Sauvie Island. All birders should 
practice this technique. I remember several winters ago that Rich Hoyer 
photographed an odd sandpiper in winter that way. Digibinocularing of that 
bird showed it to indeed be a Solitary Sandpiper, though something like a 
vagrant Wood Sandpiper might have been more likely in winter. My practice 
attempts at photographing through binoculars have not met with much 
success--it's difficult!

Peter Loschl sent a photo of a flock of SABINE'S GULLS from Max Bockes and 
identified the photographer of an earlier shot as that from Ty Atwater. 
These were from central Washington state on May 22 (Banks Lake, Grant Co., 
WA) and May 23 (Crescent Island, Walla Walla Co., WA). It seems unlikely 
that there were two unprecedentedly huge flocks of over 120 gulls each 
inland. However, that distance (>100 miles) in the wrong direction down the 
Columbia River in one day would make one think that these birds may have 
been separate flocks.

To put this in perspective, there are about up to 5 reports per year of this 
species in Eastern Oregon, most in fall, with as many as 3 birds reported at 
once!

Find the Sabine's Gulls on the Recent Photos page and the Clay-colored 
Sparrow in the Oregon Rare Bird Photo Archives.
http://thebirdguide.com

Greg Gillson
The Bird Guide, Inc.
greg at thebirdguide.com