[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2014] – Visiting birding guide James Smith, on tour here with a group of clients, had the good fortune to spot two Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana on 11 Jan 2014 at Tecolote Canyon Natural Park. He also successfully found the Nutmeg Mannikins at this location which I had tipped him off about. I made a brief stop this morning 12 Jan 2014 and quickly refound one Swamp Sparrow near the entrance to the park (about one hundred yards from the entrance). It was easily located by its loud and flat sounding chip call as it moved through the Lemonadeberry bushes along the north side of the trail. However it proved difficult to entice into the open and photograph. For the most part it stayed well hidden, though often close to me, in the bushes beside the drainage culvert. I managed to get a few photographs from which the bird can be pieced together! Swamp Sparrow is about the most striking rufous marked sparrow we have here in the west I think. The rich rufous on the scapular feathers and wings looks eye popping in any light conditions! This would appear to be a first winter individual with generous yellow coloration of soft parts around the base of the bill and gape. Plumage characters of first winter birds like this one include only a little rufous color streaked into the crown, predominantly buffy auriculars and supercilium, and buffy flanks marked with thin but bold streaks.

Swamp Sparrow – Tecolote Canyon Natural Park, San Diego County, California 12 Jan 2014

Swamp Sparrow – Tecolote Canyon Natural Park, San Diego County, California 12 Jan 2014

Swamp Sparrow – Tecolote Canyon Natural Park, San Diego County, California 12 Jan 2014

Swamp Sparrow – Tecolote Canyon Natural Park, San Diego County, California 12 Jan 2014