FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Black-throated Sparrow

["K.D. Breault" <KBreault@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The Black-throated Sparrow was seen again on Saturday, December 3 by Jon Dunn, 
Brainard Palmer-Ball and several other birders early in the morning and again 
by Steve McConnell of Alabama and myself later in the day, around 10:00-10:45.  
The bird seems to have spent most of the day in a loose group of Field Sparrows 
flying between the brush pile on which it was originally seen (the one with 
Morris William's helpful sign, "Here"), another smaller brush pile between the 
original one and the area of smashed pumpkins (next to where you park--don't 
drive past the small ditch), the latter area, and the wooded area immediately 
adjacent to the access road for about 1/4 of a mile back toward the Dennison 
house.  When in the woods the group seems to stay close to the road flying back 
and forth along this margin and stopping at the brush piles and pumpkin area.  
Today, the small wooded area behind the brush piles and smashed pumpkins was 
quite active with B. Creeper, Y-b Sapsucker, W-b Nuthatch, T. Titmouse, C. 
Chickadee, Y-r Warbler, W. Thrush, Bluebird, Mockingbird, B. Jay, B. Kingfisher 
(along the stream that cuts through the woods), G-c Kinglet, Winter Wren (in 
the pile of tree limbs next to the smashed pumpkins), C. Wren, E. Phoebe, Downy 
& R-b Woodpecker, Goldfinch, Towhee, White-throated, Field, Swamp, Song, an 
unusual winter Lincoln's Sparrow and a surprising, no surprised, Am. Woodcock.  
Savannah Sparrows were ubiquitous in the adjacent fields but not seen with the 
Black-throated group although they were seen to frequent the brush piles.  The 
best strategy for the Black-throated Sp is to keep an eye on the two brush 
piles mentioned above and the area of smashed pumpkins, listen for a 
rambunctious group of Field Sparrows, and yes, don't give up!  For a bird so 
common in the West and Southwest that you hardly pay it any attention, it took 
me four hours today and I had previously missed it on Thursday.  Note that when 
I left, the road to the parking area was getting quite muddy--drive carefully 
and boots would help.
Kevin Breault
Brentwood, TN
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