One interesting possibility is that the bird was seen on Tuesday and Wednesday, but not on Thursday and Friday---then again on Saturday and Sunday. If it is trauma related, something could have happened during those two days and that might be one reason that the bird was not seen.
Robert Parsons
-----Original Message-----
From: Maryland Birds & Birding [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Matt Hafner
Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 8:56 AM
To:
Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Swan Harbor Le Conte's Sparrow observations
Hey Mark,
We discussed this on Saturday while many of us were watching the bird. It is no optical illusion the bird does not have any tail feathers. I think it is the same bird given the unusual (for a Le Conte's) habits of this bird.
As for whether the bird lost the tail feathers through molt or trauma, I don't know. I assumed it was trauma-related on Saturday, but the timing is reasonable for molt as Le Conte's are known to migrate in juvenal plumage.
Hopefully someone with more knowledge and readily accessible resources can chime in.
Matt Hafner
Forest Hill, MD
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Johnson <>
To: MDOSPREY <>
Sent: Mon, Dec 5, 2011 8:02 am
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Swan Harbor Le Conte's Sparrow observations
Hi all,
After looking at the photos of this bird taken by Monroe Harding and Mark
offman yesterday, I noticed that the bird didn't appear to have even a hint of
etrices, unless there's some kind of optical illusion going on in those photos.
he photos I took five days ago (11/29) show full length tail feathers sticking
ut in the sunshine. I didn't get any shots with the tail open, so it's not
lear how many retrices were in place at that time. If this is the same bird, he
ither molted all his retrices at once since 11/29 or had them removed by
rauma. The only other explanation I can think of is that this may be a
ifferent bird (unlikely, I know). At any rate, the absence of a tail probably
ncreases the likelihood that the bird photographed yesterday will be sticking
round for a while. I would think he's less likely to take any long trips
ithout a rudder. If anyone else has other photos from yesterday showing some
ail feathers, I'd love to see them. If anyone with experience in the molt
atterns of sparrows has comments, I'd love to hear them too.
Mark J.
berdeen
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