Mystery Bird of the Day

Truly, I had never seen this one before, and (like my first Western Tanager), I nearly laughed out loud! What a face—unforgettable. I was, of course, convinced it wasn’t a sparrow and was toying with some kind of Longspur, but couldn't put my hands on the bird book. Ah well, never said I was a birder. Shortly after firing a few photos off to Bee Lady, Cat Woman, and Hawkeye, all three answers came back within a half-hour of each other. It was unanimous: the Lark Sparrow.

Why here, all of a sudden? Will they stay? And why won't blogger upload the other image without turning it up on end?

There is, apparently, some evidence that bird ranges are shifting. Global warming? Wonder if the real bird folk know? Cat Woman reports that she now sees the occasional Horned Lark, a prairie bird, where she lives higher in the foothills. What else is changing?