Late spring: Grasshopper Sparrow

Spring migration didn't produce an epic flood of photos, and I was between two trips (LA-TX, mainly work with a little birding; OR-WA, birding and photography) when I ventured out into Franklin Twp to check the grasslands. I found this male Grasshopper Sparrow perched up singing away - although not a tall shrub it was the tallest one in the field and this was obviously a frequent singing perch (see the whitewash) from which this male was singing for an extended period.

Willow Flycatcher

Adult male Willow Flycatcher, Franklin Twp, NJ in May. Several areas in Franklin hold them, at least in part because Franklin Twp makes some effort to keep a fair amount of open space. Some of these grasslands are invaluable for declining birds like Grasshopper Sparrow and Bobolink, although Willow Flycatcher is a little more versatile and not under quite so much pressure as those two specialists.