[mou] Chipping Sparrow, Mower County

[Watson, Alexander Robert]

A flock of around 20 briefly feed on the ground under a large feeding station at the Hormel Nature center.  One feed on a platform feeder.  I have maintained those feeder all winter and this is the first chipping sparrow sighting this year, let alone around 20 of them.  It was good to see them again.

24 days early!!
Median Arrival= March 26
10 year spread documented sightings=  March 4th 2000 and April 7 2002  = 35 days
10 year documented sighting median arrival date= March 21st
Current Accepted earliest arrival = March 4 2000
Undocumented on March 5th in 2005 and Other resent undocumented  well before medians

The chipping sparrows arrival dates are all over the place (For example, so far as I have looked the Bay Breasted has a 10 year spread of only 8 Days!)

I can really see the usefulness of a graph that indicates abundance over time.
The graphs Dave C. has produced are wonderful.


Alex