OHIO-BIRDS Archives

October 2015

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Subject:
Nelson's or LeConte's sparrow at Big Island
From:
Nancy Rudd <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
[log in to unmask][log in to unmask], 9 Oct 2015 09:57:51 -0400630_UTF-8 I arrived 3:00 to 3:30 pm. Found the objective cover for my scope
jacket. Good diversity but no Western Sandpiper. Black-bellied Plover 1,
Stilt Sandpiper 5, Least Sandpiper 10, Semipalmated Sandpiper 1, Pectoral
Sandpiper 10, White-rumped Sandpiper 30, Long-billed Dowitcher 1 (heard
peep or keek call), 1 Wilson's Snipe, Lesser Yellowlegs 20, lots of
Killdeer. Birds were hard to count. Lots of movement and flying around.
At about 5:30 pm a Peregrine Falcon came in and flushed most of the birds
but some came back. Looked hard at the Semipalmated Sandpiper to assure
the ID and it was not a [...][log in to unmask]
Date:
Wed, 7 Oct 2015 15:41:08 -0400
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Wednesday, October 7

We went to the middle pond in Big Island Wildlife Area off
Larue-Prospect Rd in Marion County this morning where white-rumped
sandpipers were seen and reported yesterday.  Shorebirds were scarce
(one pectoral sandpiper and quite a few yellowlegs and killdeers but
nothing else).

On our way back to the car we spotted an unusual sparrow perched with
its back to us.  It stayed put and we were able to narrow the
possibilities to a Nelson's sharp-tailed or LeConte's.  It had the
characteristic orangey face and throat with gray cheek patch and
brightly patterned back with very bright white streaks.  Its head stripe
appeared to be dark (we saw no white) which would suggest Nelson's
rather than LeConte's.  Also after it left its initial perch it would go
into the grass and then perch on ahead--cooperative (for birders)
behavior that would seem unlikely in a LeConte's.  So we are calling it
a Nelson's.  The ID puzzle is its breast.  We only got one very brief
look at its breast when it turned around and faced us before flying on
and we had the impression of an all buffy breast (like a juvenile
Nelson's) rather than an orangey throat above a white belly.  But
juveniles apparently don't have the white stripes on the back and this
bird had very bright white stripes like an adult Nelson's.  Our
impression of breast coloring could have been a trick of the light or
perhaps it was a juvenile in transition to adult plumage.

In any event we are hoping someone else goes looking for this bird soon
and helps with ID if it is seen.

Nancy Rudd and Bob Gold

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