Mary G

Activity #1.  I don't have a comparison by shape, but I've been noticing shapes of Phoebes and Sparrows in my yard.  I watch the Phoebe's tail for "wagging " when it lights, which it often does on the lamp post or a branch.  The round little Sparrow hops around on my driveway.  It's either a Song or Chipping, not sure which.  I can't see it all that well. Activity #2.  I compared the Sparrows and the House Wren, both mostly brown.  I've only seen the wren once, though I've heard it quite a few times.  The Sparrows have black and white stripes on their heads and wings, and I noticed a bright almost orange cap on the head (chipping?).  The wren is brown all over. Activity #3.  Within the last few days I've seen the Robin walking around on the driveway pecking at this and that.  The Sparrow hops and does quick pecks.  the Phoebe flies around and I don't know how it gets it's food.  It's a flycatcher, so there you go. Activity #4.  Today my favorite is the Red Eyed Vireo.  I was hiking, and I kept hearing its cheery song above me.  I've been hearing it a lot on my hikes.  I finally spotted one without binoculars.  It was 20-30 feet up in the understory of hardwood trees, occasionally hopping from branch to branch.  It's a bit smaller than a Robin.  It seemed cheerful, and it moved around quite a bit.   It was white below with some yellow on the sides of the belly.  It had a grey cap and a black eye stripe bisecting white stripes.  The back is yellow mixed with gray.   (I didn't see all that without binoculars!). Red-eyed vireos winter in South America, and spend the breeding season much of th eastern US and some of Canada.