Hello Birders: On returning from an outing this morning to concession 6 west of
Walsingham to view the Greater Yellow-legs posted yesterday we were driving
slowly on Woodword Side Rd. north from Nova Scotia Line(County Rd 42) west of
Port Burwell. Woodword is not an all season Road and runs through a large
expanse of corn stubble at that point, with weedy and grassy wet ditches and a
few clumps of red dogwood and low shrubs. We flushed a short -tailed sparrow
on the west side of the vehicle which flew along low off the ground a short
distance and landed slightly infront of the vehicle about 3 feet off the ground
in a dead raspberry cane. The initial impression of the sparrow was a totally
coloured yellow head, as if the whole head had been dipped in yellow with a
paler chin. A small area of the upper breast was lightly streaked but most of
the breast was unmarked, with a slight band of narrow streaking at the sides
below the wing. The lower mandible was pink with the upper bill slightly
darker. Legs were pinkish . There was a white eye ring and wisker lines. The
wings were somewhat rusty brown with no noticeable white. Alister
Dennis-Grantham and myself observed the perched bird from the vehicle with
field glasses , from about 20 feet for perhaps 20 to 30 seconds. His sister
Clare also observed the bird with her naked eye. I remarked to Alister, "Look
at that head, Have you ever seen one of those before?" Alister is 11 years old
and already a very good birder but his response was in the negative.
In our initial excitement we all made the error of looking in our field
guides at the same time and we lost the bird. We exited the vehicle and flushed
a common snipe from beside a large pool of water in the corn field. We searched
up and down the roadway and adjacent fields for about an hour, trying to refind
the bird. We turned up a pair of song sparrows, two savannah sparrows and
several horned larks but could not relocate our first sparrow. It was sunny,
about 1:30 p.m. with light winds, about 8to 10 degrees C. when we left the
sight.
I realize how unusual this sparrow is and considered the Nelson's and
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed. However the breast was mostly white and streaking was
minimal under the throat and to the side. I would be interested in hearing
from anyone who may have an educated opinion or expertise on this sparrow. We
will certainly be rechecking the location for future sightings. Ron Allensen,
Port Burwell
Directions; Port Burwell is on Lake Erie at the southern terminus of hiway
19 south of 401 from Ingersol exit. Proceed through town and turn right to
cross the bridge. Proceed up the hill on Nova Scotia Line,(County Rd. 42) round
two turns going past Browns Rd. continue on 42 for about a mile. Woodword Side
Rd goes north only(right) off of 42. It is wet gravel and sand. about a quarter
mile up the road 200 feet past the concrete culvert is the spot the bird was
sighted.
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