According to Bruce Peterjohn's "The Birds of Ohio", documented song sparrow breeding includes "nests with young as late as September 7." Your record is outside this range, but not so much so as to defy belief. And of course, they may be other later records in more recent literature.
Nonetheless, it's a nice observation. Thanks for passing it along to the list. I'm sure Jill Russell, the new editor of The Ohio Cardinal, would like to hear about it. Unfortunately, I don't seem to have her email address handy.
Paul Gardner
Columbus, OH
--- On Sun, 9/18/11, Lois & Vic Harder <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> From: Lois & Vic Harder <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: [Ohio-birds] Strange Song Sparrow Observation
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Sunday, September 18, 2011, 7:02 PM
> For several days, I have observed a
> Song Sparrow perching on a Shepherd Hook that holds our
> hummingbird feeder just outside the kitchen window.
> White and black deposits were building up and until tonight,
> I thought the Song Sparrow was pooping on the hook.
> However tonight, the sparrow was carrying something in its
> beak. I watched as it deposited a fecal sac on the
> hook!!! I need an expert opinion as to whether this
> could possibly be from a late clutch. I've checked for
> info in several books with no success. The only
> mention of how many broods that I found was in Hal
> Harrison's Birds Nest Peterson Field Guide. It stated,
> "2 broods, sometimes 3" but no specific date spread. I
> cannot detect which bush this bird is entering and
> exiting. Just seems late for a nesting.
>
> Took a few photos to prove that I'm not
> hallucinating!!! Photos are not great but can
> definitely be ID'd as fecal sacs.
>
> Lois Harder
> Ottawa County, Ohio
>
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