FOUR STARTERS A song sparrow hops in the grass in Sinks Grove .
The song sparrow is a rich , russet-andgray bird with bold streaks down its white chest , one of the most familiar North American sparrows . It is one of the first species you should suspect if you see a streaky sparrow in an open , shrubby or wet area .
No place like home . Song sparrows seem to have a clear idea of what makes a good nest . Field researchers working for many years on the same parcels of land have noticed that some choice spots – the base of a rose bush , or a particular hollow under a hummock of grass , for example – get used over and over again , even when entirely new birds take over the territory .
12 � SOUTH � MARCH-APRIL ’ 24