While running the Marysville section of the O'Shaughnessy CBC yesterday, we had a Savannah Sparrow along the side of Fladt Rd, in an area of flat farm fields about 2 miles southeast of Marysville.  The deep snow cover had forced lots of sparrows to the roadside along many less-traveled farm roads (we had 60+ Song and 90 Trees in several hours).  The bird was not near any large wetland, and my other experience with winter Savannahs has single birds in very open grasslands/weedfields.  It's possible that these are strays from a small winter population hiding along dry wetlands and reservoir flats.  That's a habitat in which they are common in late Fall, and mimics the marsh & shore habitats in which they are abundant in southern States.  It's certainly not a habitat I visit much in the cold parts of winter here in Ohio, so kudos to Bob for being observant.

Other birds of note in the farm fields were 1 Bald Eagle, 1 N.Harrier, 5 Kestrels, 2 E.Meadowlarks, and 120+ Horned Larks.  Woodlots along the route had lots of woodpeckers and nuthatches, but not much else.  It was an interesting morning until the snow started in earnest, around 1:30.

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