This sparrow was busy gathering cattail fluff for its nest. Every so often, if stopped doing that, and hopped along the shore picking up something, perhaps seeds. Birds were numerous today and song sparrows in particular were heard all over the garden. Other birds seen today, Earth Day 2013, were:

Great blue heron 1, flying over, mallard, 1 male in the ravine's stream, american kestrel, pair, turkey vulture 1, flying over, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, northern flicker, barn swallow, tree swallow, american crow, black-capped chickadee (1 pair excavating a nest hole), red-breasted nuthatch (1 pair excavating a nest hole), white-breasted nuthatch,, ruby-crowned kinglets (many, all singing!), american robin, european starling, cardinal, dark-eyed juncos, white-throated sparrows, red-winged blackbirds including the first female I've seen this spring, house finches, american goldfinches, common redpolls.