Swamp Sparrow seen briefly at Greengate Cots today

Observers: D.Parker
Email: jimndebbyatQnet.com
Remote Name: 209.221.196.104
Date: 05/07/03
Time: 02:48:42 PM

Description

I had a few seconds to study the key marks on this breeding plumaged sparrow as it flushed up from the east side of creek and into the rabbitbrush on the west side of creek. Its crown was rich rufous, it had a dark gray supercilium, including the lore area. Behind the dark eye was a slightly thick straight black line. Below this line and in the cheek area was gray also. The breast was mostly plain but with a few dark but subtle streaks centrally located which made me think it might be a tree sparrow, but it had no wingbars. The wings were a rich rufous in the flight feathers. No buffy was seen anywhere as in a Lincoln Sparrow and a Chipping Sparrow has dark lores contrasting with a much whittish supercilium. Chippies also lack the rich rufous in the wing that I saw. A tree sparrow also has a reddish eyeline behind the eye and not black as was seen. The exact location was close to the greengate along the creek just before the row of large trees begin.