[mou] Sharp-Tailed Sparrow-Henn. Cty

[jb at bolioshot.com]

The bird was again at the lookout dock at sunup this morning. It was much more cooperative, allowing me to observe it for about 5 minutes as it started at the vegetation on the West side of the dock & then moved down the boardwalk from the dock to about halfway back to the main trail. I was finally able to verify all field markings & determine it to be a Sharp-Tailed Sparrow. The bird also showed up at the dock about 15 minutes later. 

Jason Bolish
Bloomington - Hennepin County

I've relocated the bird James Pomplunoriginally sighted Thursday the 18th near the lookout dock at the OldCedar Ave Bridge. I've seen it twice, once today & once lastSunday the 21st. Both sightings occured right at sunup, about6:45-7:00am. Each time the bird popped out of the sparse vegetationnear the West side of the lookout dock & was visible 10-15seconds. I unfortunately didn't get very good looks at it's crown. Ican only say that it's facial features & side streaks are a richochre color that is very much like the pictures I see of Sharp-TailedSparrows, and also it's back which is dark with white streaks. I don'thave any experience with Sharp-Tailed or LeContes Sparrows, so leaningtowards it being a Sharp-Tailed is just a guess, but it is definitelyone of these 2 species.

Jason Bolish
Bloomington - Hennepin County

At 8:30 this morning I saw what I take to be a Nelson's Sharp-tailed
Sparrow, a bird I've not seen before, near the look-out dock at Old Cedar
Bridge. The bird was viewed only two brief times about 30 feet away with the
sun a mere 30 degrees to the right. The crown stripe seemed quite dark and
uninterrupted by any lighter stripe. That, and the bird's darker, more rusty
browns around the head, flanks and breast--not as yellowish as some of the
guides seem to have it--would seem to rule out a Le Conte's Sparrow. I
checked back at the pier four times without seeing the bird--the last time,
11:30am, Franklin's Gulls were circling around the dock.

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