[mou] Nelson's vs LeConte's ID
Milton Blomberg
MJBFLWRMT@MSN.COM
Fri, 30 Sep 2005 20:25:20 -0500
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Attn: MOU moderator, a bit long if you deem worthy. =20
All right, for you sparrow folks in the NW, help me out. Below is an =
email I sent up to PWLC in Fergus Falls and a response. Anyone help me =
with the debate or are the field guides using a Nelson's photo for a =
LeConte's?
Good morning. The other night prior to the presentation by Jim =
Fitzpatrick, I made a short loop around the cattail marsh. A beautiful =
sparrow (2 of them) gave me good looks at the entrance to the floating =
boardwalk. A lifer for me, but, two books convince me that it was a =
LeConte's (Kaufmans & Stokes), another two field guides tell me a =
Nelson's Sharptail (Golden and the Lone Pine Publication on MN/WI). =20
I am concluding they were Nelson's Sharptail, based on the Lone Pine =
description of habitat (cattails) and manner. Size was slightly smaller =
than a song sparrow, profile near the same. Skipping low on the =
boardwalk, not too flighty. Beautiful gray patches, orange lines, =
strong orange buff line on mid-breast, white underparts. Tail to long =
for a LeConte's, I think. Anyway, I am sort of looking for confirmation =
from you or your colleague's perspective. sincerely, Milt Blomberg =
(Sci teacher- Holdingford, MN
PS I liked the science of the ivory-billed presentation, mapping =
aspects, data collecting, changing methodology.=20
Milton=20
I really wish I could confirm your sighting that would be a first for =
the Learning Center and the area it is sparrow migration time so =
anything is possible=20
I will put the word out to keep an eye open=20
Thanks for the tip and Thanks for attending the program I really =
enjoyed it myself.=20
Teresa=20
=20
Thanks for responding. FYI further....near the entrance to the floating =
boardwalk, a couple of song sparrows off to the left prior the cattail =
edge, the Nelson's Sharptails were on the left side of the boardwalk in =
the cattails, flittered onto the boardwalk, hopping around wondering =
about me, then went into the cattails on the right side where again I =
got good looks. This manner described well in the Lone Pine guide =
(probably Bob Jansens descript). I can hardly believe it is a first =
sighting at PWLC (this year? or ever?). The only problem I have with =
the ID is the possible LeConte's photo in both Kaufman and Stokes. The =
photo of Nelson's in Stokes is poor. Since I have not ever seen a =
LeContes, I impression, though, is that is is small and short-tailed =
like a Grasshopper Sparrow, secretive by dropping down into prairie =
grass habitat. The feather markings were very distinct, as I have said, =
but to add....it had that "dark" spot blotch near the nape separated =
from the slate-gray eye patch. Its feathering on the back very =
patterned mottling, quite pretty in its own right, let alone the =
rust-orange coloration and crown stripes. Hope this helps more....let =
me know if the staff scope on it, but I will trust my instincts that =
they were Nelson's...I know they have been reported further up toward =
Moorhead at Feltons and etc on the MOU reporting. sincerely, Milt
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<DIV>Attn: MOU moderator, a bit long if you deem worthy. </DIV>
<DIV>All right, for you sparrow folks in the NW, help me out. Below =
is an=20
email I sent up to PWLC in Fergus Falls and a response. Anyone =
help me=20
with the debate or are the field guides using a Nelson's photo for a=20
LeConte's?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Good morning. The other night prior to the presentation by =
Jim=20
Fitzpatrick, I made a short loop around the cattail marsh. A =
beautiful=20
sparrow (2 of them) gave me good looks at the entrance to the floating=20
boardwalk. A lifer for me, but, two books convince me that it was =
a=20
LeConte's (Kaufmans & Stokes), another two field guides tell me a =
Nelson's=20
Sharptail (Golden and the Lone Pine Publication on MN/WI). </DIV>
<DIV>I am concluding they were Nelson's Sharptail, based on the Lone =
Pine=20
description of habitat (cattails) and manner. Size was slightly =
smaller=20
than a song sparrow, profile near the same. Skipping low on the =
boardwalk,=20
not too flighty. Beautiful gray patches, orange lines, strong =
orange buff=20
line on mid-breast, white underparts. Tail to long for a =
LeConte's, I=20
think. Anyway, I am sort of looking for confirmation from =
you or=20
your colleague's perspective. sincerely, Milt =
Blomberg =20
(Sci teacher- Holdingford, MN</DIV>
<DIV>PS I liked the science of the ivory-billed presentation, =
mapping=20
aspects, data collecting, changing methodology. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Milton <BR><BR><FONT size=3D2>I really wish I =
could confirm=20
your sighting that would be a first for the Learning Center and =
the area=20
it is sparrow migration time so anything is =
possible</FONT></FONT>=20
<BR><BR><FONT face=3Dsans-serif size=3D2>I will put the word out to keep =
an eye=20
open</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT face=3Dsans-serif size=3D2>Thanks for the tip =
and =20
Thanks for attending the program I really enjoyed it myself.</FONT>=20
<BR><BR><FONT face=3Dsans-serif =
size=3D2>Teresa</FONT> <BR> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>Thanks for responding. FYI further....near the entrance to =
the=20
floating boardwalk, a couple of song sparrows off to the left prior the =
cattail=20
edge, the Nelson's Sharptails were on the left side of the boardwalk in =
the=20
cattails, flittered onto the boardwalk, hopping around wondering about =
me, then=20
went into the cattails on the right side where again I got good =
looks. =20
This manner described well in the Lone Pine guide (probably Bob Jansens=20
descript). I can hardly believe it is a first sighting at PWLC =
(this year?=20
or ever?). The only problem I have with the ID is the possible =
LeConte's=20
photo in both Kaufman and Stokes. The photo of Nelson's in Stokes =
is=20
poor. Since I have not ever seen a LeContes, I impression, though, =
is that=20
is is small and short-tailed like a Grasshopper Sparrow, secretive by =
dropping=20
down into prairie grass habitat. The feather markings were very =
distinct,=20
as I have said, but to add....it had that "dark" spot blotch near the =
nape=20
separated from the slate-gray eye patch. Its feathering on the =
back very=20
patterned mottling, quite pretty in its own right, let alone the =
rust-orange=20
coloration and crown stripes. Hope this helps more....let me know =
if the=20
staff scope on it, but I will trust my instincts that they were =
Nelson's...I=20
know they have been reported further up toward Moorhead at =
Feltons and=20
etc on the MOU reporting. sincerely, =
Milt</DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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