Sage Sparrow Split

While I was near Monterey for the pelagic trip last weekend, I took the time to find the Bell's Sparrow, recently split from the now Sagebrush Sparrow. If you have been keeping up with the blog, you'll know I photographed Sage Sparrows near Mono Lake, CA. However, the subspecies I photographed appears to be canescens, which got lumped with Bell's Sparrow. Therefore, the pictures of Bell's Sparrows I got near Hollister, CA don't count as a new species. This was my first time seeing the coastal Bell's, and they are stunning birds!

Bell's Sparrow

I was also able to get much better photos of Lawrence's Goldfinch than I previously had.

Lawrence's Goldfinch

I only have 6 days left before returning to Michigan. Tomorrow (8/11) is my last day of butterfly surveys. I will then spend 3 days in the Ruby Mountains trying to track down some Himalayan Snowcock, Black Rosy-Finches, and Dusky Grouse, among others. On the way there, I plan to look for Sagebrush Sparrows. Wish me luck!