At approximately 3:45 pm I found a Nelson's Sparrow feeding in dense re-generating cattails and bulrush on the gravel road installed for the dredging of the marsh. At 8-10+ meters the following field marks were seen: orange-buff highlights around face, central throat, on upper breast and down sides with light vertical streaking on upper breast sides; grey on the auriculars, nape,'whiskers'; white streaks on back; back overall reddish-brown with rufous streaks. Attempts to get photographs were futile! *Birds of Hamilton* list this species as an "uncommon, local fall transient", and gives the average fall arrival date as 2 October; the earliest, 16 September.
Directions: Rattray Marsh Conservation Area is located in sw Mississauga and is se of the village of Clarkson. Best accessed from street parking at the south end of Bexhill Road which runs south off Lakeshore Bouevard between Southdown Road and Mississauga Road. The location of the sparrow is near the bottom of the wide trail which runs down hill from the south end of Bexhill and veers left into a clearing and area of gravel. Rubber boots are recommend to venture into the over-grown gravel road. As they say: "no pain .. no gain!!" Wayne Renaud (289-828-0045; waynerenau...@gmail.com) _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
