Small flocks of golden-crowned sparrows have been using the arboretum as their winter home. I see them at the entrance, the wildflower garden, along the quarry road and the road out to the south meadow. They are never too far from the cover of a small thicket of shrubs that they can use for safety from predators. That said, they seem to be a friendly bird that will allow you to get close to them if you are quiet and move slowly.
This spring I noticed them eating lots of leaves of new plant shoots. I didn’t realize birds would include so much plant vegetation in their diet. I also see them foraging on new tender, grass seeds.
They are often palling around in a mixed flock with white-crowned sparrows. I captured a photo of them together that you can see below.
The golden-crowned sparrow breeds in shrubby tundra habitats near the coast or in the mountains in Alaska and northwestern Canada. I imagine that they will be migrating soon. Good luck on your journey. See you in the fall.
Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)
Listen to their song:
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/golden-crowned-sparrow
