FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Clay-colored Sparrow & Short-eared Owl - Augusta County

[Brenda Tekin <bt8x@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Report of Clay-colored Sparrow and Short-eared Owl in Augusta County
This is belated report of a Clay-colored Sparrow located yesterday (October 
3) in Augusta County. With Rockfish Gap completely socked in with fog 
during the morning hours, Pat Alther and I drove over to Stuart's Draft to 
kill some time.  From Tinkling Spring Road we turned onto Rt. 652/Guthrie 
Road.  Approximately 4/10ths of mile up this narrow graveled country road 
we spotted a sparrow feeding along the edge.  No other sparrows were around 
it.  Pat and I managed to observe this bird for at least a minute or two 
before it flew across the road, over narrow patch of soy bean and dropping 
down on other side of field.  Most striking about this bird was the facial 
markings with narrow dark moustachial mark that was thicker behind the eye; 
dark eye line extended behind the eye; no line between lores/beak area to 
eye; palish rushty brown triangular-shaped patch behind and below eye over 
ear covert with darker border.  What really drew my attention was the 
palish unstreaked collar and buffy unstreaked sides.  Maybe due to lighting 
(partly cloudy and shadow along road's edge) could not be certain pale 
collar was grayish.  However, it certainly was not "bright" white.  Rump 
was brown, not gray, that blended in with brown on back of bird.  No white 
in the tail feathers.  Attempts to relocate the Clay-colored Sparrow this 
afternoon (Monday, October 4) were unsuccessful.

While riding along Guthrie Road late afternoon today, I observed two 
immature Northern Harrier.  Initially one was closer to Tinkling Springs 
and the 2nd immature was further to the west.  Heading back toward Guthrie 
I happened to note a harrier fly over a far back field and then land.  I 
decided to stop to put scope on the bird.  I was there for several minutes 
when I noted a second harrier fly in.  It was the 2nd immature.  It flew 
over the other harrier that was standing in the field stirring up a field 
full of Killdeer and what appeared to be Horned Larks (and possibly some 
pipits).

The first Harrier remained standing on the ground and with binoculars I 
detected a brownish clump short distance to right of the harrier.  I 
assumed it was the 2nd harrier.  I got the scope on it and noted that 
although the brown clump was positioned closer than the standing harrier, 
it seemed smaller, more rounder.  It turned its head facing the road 
revealing a facial disk!  The first harrier began walking/hopping toward 
the smaller brown clump then it took to air maybe a foot above ground and 
flew over it and landed within short distance.  I was able to get both in 
same view of scope -- a Northern Harrier and Short-eared Owl!  I attempted 
to photograph and have yet to review on computer to see if there's enough 
of an image to post.  I zoomed up the scope lens to 60 and used camera 
timer to help with reducing camera shake due to low light and slight breeze.

While photographing the second harrier reappeared flying over both the 1st 
harrier and owl.  All three took to air and I lost sight of the owl.  From 
the road I telephoned Allen Larner to notify him of the owl.



Brenda Tekin
Charlottesville, VA

"Leave behind what you find. If you must take something, take pictures."

Photo journal including Birds of Virginia:

http://www.birdsofvirginia.com


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