Bird brain

In late August, while walking Jericho not far from my home, I saw a white sparrow.

Not Albino. White. With black eyes. Hanging with a bunch of brown sparrows doing whatever sparrows do.

I did some research and discovered that these are rare birds indeed. So rare, I convinced myself that it was an escaped finch.

Yesterday, while standing on my back deck trying to grab a photo of my crazy-blooming clematis, I spotted the bird again -- at least I assume it's the same bird -- and got off a few shots while it was at my neighbour's feeder.

Old Russian lore has it that it's a ''magic'' bird -- and I should have wished on it.

Incidentally, its condition is called leucism. Never even heard of it before.

Comments

[The Stygian and his Shemitish Dogs]

Esteemed and Beautiful Moderator

"... leucism. Never even heard of it before."

Ain't it wonderful to have both Latin AND Greek?

One evening early this August I saw a mysterious black cat-like creature moving among boulders just below Trail Camp on the trail up Mount Whitney

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Whitney_trail

it was trying not to be seen, and it was getting too dark for a decent photo, but one thing I did notice was the way it carried its tail - just like a big cat.

down in at the ranger station in Lone Pine I was told I'd probably seen a black cougar, and from my description the ranger said he was sure I really had seen something, and was not pulling his leg.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Leopard

his comment was "they're more common in Texas", but they apparently do exist in California.