White Throated Sparrow sighting

A White Throated Sparrow has been visiting our garden for the past few days.

I thought at first that it was a white crowned sparrow with unusual markings - the white throat and yellow markings near the eyes. But it turns out to be a white throated sparrow, which is very exciting because I've never seen one before, let alone have the honor of one visiting the patio and backyard.

This larger, full-bodied sparrow is usually found in the summer in forests throughout Canada the northeastern US and the northern Midwest in coniferous and deciduous forests. But during migration and in the winter, they can be seen foraging in backyards, thickets and parks.

White throated sparrows eat mainly seeds and fruits of plants such as blueberries, sumac and roses.

Since they eat buckwheat seeds, I wonder if this bird has been eating the seeds of our buckwheat plants in the front yard.

In the summer they eat insects found on forest floors, including wasps, spiders, and dragonflies.

I saw this same bird foraging through dead leaf matter in our backyard. Maybe it found some insects to eat there.