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In Search of New York’s Breeding Birds

10,000 Birds

On Saturday I awakened at 3:30 AM, tiptoed out of the house as quietly as I could, and headed north and west to Sullivan County, the first of three counties I planned to visit in a series of surgical birding strikes to see (or hear) the birds I had thus far missed this year as they migrated through New York City.

Breeding 154
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Vesper Sparrow Pooecetes gramineus

10,000 Birds

Any day of birding in New York State that includes a sighting of a Vesper Sparrow is a better-then-average day. But I, of course, live in the east and the lack of Vesper Sparrows is a downer because when any species is in decline it is depressing but also because they are pretty darn neat sparrows. What has caused the decline?

Sparrows 165