FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Clay-colored Sparrow search

[<birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

10/6/06
Henry Co 
Perry Schoolhouse Rd.
To make a long story short, I got a glimpse of a Sparrow that I'm sure was 
Don's Clay-colored this morning. I was in the same area that Don had seen the 
bird, and heard Palm Warblers calling from the field in front of me. One Palm 
popped-up into a low shrub, but before anything else came into view, a loud 
farm truck came by and flushed the small group of birds that I had been hoping 
to see. In addition to the one Palm that I was looking at, 5 or 6 more Palms, 
and a single sparrow flushed and flew towards the far end of the field. All I 
saw on the sparrow was that it was very buffy overall, including the rump. I 
didn't see the bird well enough for me to call it, but everything that I saw in 
my quick look fit a Clay-colored much better than a Chippy or Field.

I lost the birds as they flew south/southwest towards the far end of the field. 
I drove down to this general area but could not relocate any of the birds. This 
sighting was again at about 09:30. I came back through again about 10:30 and 
didn't have the birds then either. The 1st time Don had the bird, they flew in 
this same manner to the south, so that may not be too bad a sign. 

I have to work again tonight, but will be back again in the morning at about 
the same time. There may be another person or two around the area tomorrow, 
Jeff may make the trip up to try and get a photo of the bird, which I was 
really hoping for today. I've been trying out a new camera which seems like 
it's going to do the trick pretty well.

This road is marked Perry School House Rd on the DeLorme (page 49), ad is 
approximately 5 miles northeast of McKenzie. General directions will have you 
get off of Hwy 79 on Old SR 76, then go east on Eli Brown Rd. Eli Brown Rd will 
intersect Macedonia Routon Rd; Perry School House Rd is directly across this 
intersection from Eli Brown Rd. You will go about a mile on Perry School House 
then make a 90 degree turn to the right (south), followed by an immediate 90 
degree turn left (east). The overgrown corn field that you are now going 
through is where the birds have been being seen. Near the crest of the small 
hill there is a brushy area around a phone pole, here and in the field nearby 
is specifically where the birds were this morning and also when Don got his 
looks at the bird. 

I will hopefully be in the area tomorrow by 09:30 or so, if anyone happens to 
come up for the bird and gets there before me, I'd love to know what you have. 
My cell # is 731 676-0889 (though I left it at work this morning in my haste to 
get out). If you follow the Perry School House loop, there is some nice birding 
along the loop, with a very productive brushy field about a 1/2 mile further 
around. Here this morning I had my 1st White-crowned Sparrow of the season, and 
6 Lincoln's Sparrows sitting in one thicket in response to a quick screech 
tape. Further around in another open area my 1st Vesper Sparrow was seen. There 
is lots of Ragweed in this area, with lots of Tennessee's, Grosbeaks, Indigos 
etc.

I have to work tonight, but will try and answer any questions from work (if I 
have the chance). You can try my cell phone, or my work email: 
michael.c.todd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I will shortly post a couple of shots of the area, and a shot or two of some 
common stuff today.

Good Birding!!

Mike Todd
McKenzie, TN
birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.pbase.com/mctodd



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