ML361707201

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

A first for Mile Square Park and a lifer! Just as I was leaving the nature area, I got on my bike and headed north along the road, when I figured it couldn’t hurt to scan the HOFI flock foraging on the ground on the golf course side of the fence around (33.7274678, -117.9434178). Almost immediately I noticed a chunkier bird with a noticeable white wing patch. It had a thick bill, fairly light malar stripe and supercilium. A fairly dark cap matched in color the line behind the eye which did not extend through the eye all the way to the bill. Breast had little streaking, but what streaking is present is thick and dark. Wing patches showed well in flight. I scrambled to get photographs, which I acquired, and quickly realized this was a female-type Lark Bunting. The flock flushed into the nearby trees and then flew west into the eucs east of the driving range. I didn’t attempt to relocate it, as I had to get home in a bit of a hurry. Subsequent viewers later the same day were able to refind the bird west of where I found it, but it was not seen after that evening. This sighting represents one of the earliest Lark Bunting fall migrants for the state.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS Rebel T6

Lens

EF75-300mm f/4-5.6

ISO

200

Focal length

300 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/6.3

Shutter speed

1/1250 sec

Dimensions

2962 pixels x 1975 pixels

Original file size

1.05 MB