A little bit ago a light rain set in, and several White-throated Sparrows and
four Mourning Doves continued to feed on seed scatted on the ground at the edge
of a small woods behind the house, outside the bedroom window.
A Ruby-crowned Kinglet heard calling at the edge of the woods was found to be
taking a bath by flitting on the rain-soaked leaves, and a Carolina Wren seen
only imperfectly may have been doing the same. Several cardinals and
White-throated Sparrows seemed to be enjoying the fine precipitation by
fluttering their wings frequently, probably also taking a mini-bath.
The Carolina Wren was later seen pulling apart with gusto a clump of wet leaves
that had been thrown down out of the gutters earlier in the day, and that was
hung up in a bush several feet off the ground.
And one of the White-throated Sparrows had an atypical plumage of mostly white
feathers on the left side of the face and top of the head, as well as lighter
than normal color on the right side of the face as well. A fairly similar
appearing individual spent the winter here last year from November 28-April 17,
and this seems likely to be the same one.
Gene Sattler
Lynchburg
