I saw a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW north of the parking lot of the Freese Rd.
gardens this morning at about 8 am. It was sitting up on a post preening
in the NW quadrant of the gardens, right in front of a large patch of
sunflowers that had red in the petals. This is approximately the middle of
3 sunflower patches, the 2nd large one N of the parking lot and the only
one in that area with red that I noticed.
The bird was very buffy, with darker buff across the chest and face and
slightly paler along the flanks, outlining the dirty white belly. The
crown was dark with a prominent pale stripe through the center. The bird
came across more dark-faced and dark-capped than I usually think of
Grasshopper Sparrows. The darker brown face patch (darker than throat) was
prominent, highlighting the white eyering and whitish bill. The bird was
facing me the whole time so I did not see its back or tail.
I did not walk the gardens but just watched from the parking lot. I was
able to see in the garden plots in addition to the Grasshopper Sparrow,
dozens and dozens of Song Sparrows in every state from nasty, bedraggled,
and tailless to pristine and beautiful. Also several Savannah Sparrows, a
single Chipping Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, and Indigo Bunting. The
Indigo Bunting was a juvenile male (with 3/4 of the tail grown) and kept
performing a soft rendition of the adult song, as did several young Song
Sparrows.
Also present around the fields were a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK calling from the
stream side, Eastern Bluebirds on the road, and flyover Bobolinks.
Kevin
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