Sprague's Pipit

When you ask someone why they are not a birder nine times out of ten they will say, “birds are awesome, but I don’t know how you tell those little brown birds apart”.  To be completely honest, trying to distinguish between a Cassin’s and a Botteri’s Sparrow in the American southwest can be rather tedious and challenging; and when visiting the lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas birds like Green Jay seem a lot more appealing than a Clay-Colored Robin.  But those boring, pass over in the field guide, birds can be some of the most rewarding as they often times are even rarer and harder to find.

For example, on a birding trip to Texas with my dad and uncle, I saw some of the most amazing and colorful birds North America has to offer.  However, when I reflect on this trip the one bird that comes to mind is the Sprague’s Pipit, which is just about the plainest looking bird you can imagine.  The entire trip, my uncle (for some reason) talked about how he really wanted to find this bland looking Pipit.  Whereas, I wanted the impressive birds:  Whooping Crane, Audubon’s Oriole, Roseate Spoonbill, and Crested Caracara.  At my uncle’s plea though we searched high and low for his Pipit, but to no avail.  As the trip was winding to a close we still did not have Sprague’s checked off our list, and so we gave it one last try.  Driving through copious amounts of cultivated farmland in southeast Texas this bird was nowhere to be seen. However, on our final stretch of appropriate habitat this little Pipit flew right in front of our car and sat still a few yards away.  The atmosphere in our car was electric.  We were high-fiving and shouting just because of one little brown bird.  After that encounter I now have a new respect for birds like the Sprague’s Pipit, Botteri’s Sparrow, and Cassin’s Sparrow.  So when you go out birding, make sure to enjoy the Gray Catbirds along with the colorful warblers and tanagers that you see.  Every bird, as my uncle says, is “a beautiful bird” and each one has a story and is an experience in it of itself.