ML618027134

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Group was hanging out on the ground in huckleberry thicket under pitch pine overstory. Birds were small (medium-sized sparrows). Distinct alternating black and white coloring (“stripes”) on the crown. Group of approximately 8 were running around on the ground in a thick huckleberry understory and would eventually fly a short distance away as I walked through the area they were in, but then would go right back to the same location as a group. I was sampling groundwater wells in the area so made repeated trips through the same location with the same scattering and returning to the same area. The individuals were making faint chipping calls amongst together but not distinct calling melodies/patterns. I have seen this species inside the Provincetown airport property in past years near shrub/woodland edge next to the grass buffer along some of the taxiways so was familiar with their color patterns. When I saw them in the huckleberry thicket this time I used the Merlin app to check the characteristics I was seeing and ruled out other sparrows that would have been likely present in the area. The attached photo was the best I could do with my phone camera, which I took as they scattered and held still at a same distance when I was walking through.

Technical information

Model

iPhone 13

Lens

iPhone 13 back dual wide camera 5.1mm f/1.6

ISO

32

Focal length

5.1 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/1.6

Shutter speed

1/124 sec

Dimensions

4032 pixels x 3024 pixels

Original file size

3.81 MB