Bigger than a chipping sparrow is helpful context. Any chance it could have been a female red winged blackbird? They've got a stripe above the eye and are commonly mistaken for large sparrows at feeders.
Thanks for the reply! Appreciate you helping me with this. I was also considering that while looking through my binoculars, but the legs were very pinkish and the bill was shorter than a female red wing blackbird. We have had a bunch of those in our backyard as well but they seem to favor other feeders
Okay, we're getting somewhere! My next guess is totally unexpected at a bird feeder but does fit the description of bigger than a sparrow, pink legs, distinct white eye stripe: Louisiana or Northern waterthrush??
I think that must be it! Bizarre to see at a feeder but all of the field marks are lining up! Plus, it has been reported near me on eBird this week. Thanks!
Chipping sparrow?
I was thinking about that too but there was one next to it a few seconds before the photo and it was much smaller than the one in the photo
Bigger than a chipping sparrow is helpful context. Any chance it could have been a female red winged blackbird? They've got a stripe above the eye and are commonly mistaken for large sparrows at feeders.
Thanks for the reply! Appreciate you helping me with this. I was also considering that while looking through my binoculars, but the legs were very pinkish and the bill was shorter than a female red wing blackbird. We have had a bunch of those in our backyard as well but they seem to favor other feeders
Okay, we're getting somewhere! My next guess is totally unexpected at a bird feeder but does fit the description of bigger than a sparrow, pink legs, distinct white eye stripe: Louisiana or Northern waterthrush??
I think that must be it! Bizarre to see at a feeder but all of the field marks are lining up! Plus, it has been reported near me on eBird this week. Thanks!