Reprinted by permission of the Tucson Audubon Society
As many of you might know by now, the Paton Center for Hummingbirds has been hosting a fairly rare for a few weeks now. The Red (Taiga) subspecies of Fox Sparrow is primarily an east coast bird with the occasional vagrant showing up in SE Arizona. Much like all Fox Sparrows, they are a bit shy, tending to spend a lot of time hiding out in brush piles and dense hedgerows. Our visitor is true to form, only making the occasional appearance to grab a bit of food or, on very cold mornings, a bit of time warming up in the early morning sunshine.
After several attempts by me to get a couple of photos, the cold morning and perfect timing on my part, i found this beautiful bird out in the open.
On your next visit to the Paton Center, be sure to check with one of our volunteers to get the latest location of this rare visitor.
Tom Brown
Site Manager – Paton Center for Hummingbirds
P.S. Support a thriving Paton habitat by donating online at https://tucsonaudubon.org/appeal/