Thursday, August 23, 2007

Pass the crackers, Whitey

It's not often that I get something new in the yard, bird-wise. Today was a day spent mostly indoors, trying not to sweat my last drop of moisture into my shirt. I did have to venture out to fill the bird feeders and turn on a nice mist for everyone. As I was doing that, a white bird flew over my head and into the neighbor's tree. Holy Moley, an albino-something!

I ran back into the house and grabbed the camera and waited at the window.

And here it is:
Normal vs abnormal

(Figures it would be a house sparrow.)
When I got a better look, I saw that it wasn't an albino, but leucistic....like Isis:

Isis BLue Eye

Lots of white, but she still has some pigment (eyes, beak and a spot on the back of her head).


Whitey

This may be the first time in the history of the world (certainly the first time on THIS blog) that this has been said: "Isn't that a cute house sparrow?"
It must be the heat.
This is a young one...you can see the last vestiges of a bright yellow gape. And even the legs are cute...pink!
Faint patterns

It's so cool to see those faint typical "house sparrow" patterns on a mostly white bird. The only house sparrow I can say that I like. Partly because it's pretty, and partly because its chances of survival are slim. (I have a heart, honest. A teeny little part of me wishes it the best)
So that was exciting....

Ready to pop

And this was too...the chrysalis is suddenly black and the sweet delicate wings are visible. Not a great picture...but I was nervous, trying to get it back into the habitat and not drop it on the floor. I assume tomorrow's post will be full of emerging and wing-pumping and releasing.


8 comments:

entoto said...

I don't think I will ever tire of that picture of Isis. It is very revealing of her personality.

Mary said...

"...(I have a heart, honest. A teeny little part of me wishes it the best)

So that was exciting...."

You do have a huge heart, no doubt. And I agree, that is a special house sparrow.

I love seeing life through your eyes...topsy turvy and kind, dear friend.

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

That little house sparrow is really quite pretty- kind of like vanilla ice cream, my favorite.
That photo if Isis is, I think, the best picture you've taken.

Carolyn H said...

Well, I'm jealous. I lived at my place for at least 10 years before I saw my one and only house sparrow there. And it wasn't even a leucistic one. At least yours was an interesting house sparrow!

Carolyn H.
www.roundtoprumings.blogspot.com

dguzman said...

Oh wow! Even if it is a house sparrow, that one's so cool!

Great photo of Isis; she says so much with her expression.

NatureWoman said...

Oh yeah, it is a pretty girlie bird, even though it's a house sparrow.
Ohhh, love the chrysalis turning black. What a miracle!!

Cathy said...

I don't know how you got that head-on shot! I love a new word: 'leucistic.' .
Curiously my sparrow population seems way down and I'm wondering what happened. Like you, it's a love/hate thing. They can always be counted on for company on a lonely day :0)

Anonymous said...

What a great bird find you had! It really does stick out and would have had me need to look very closely!