FreeLists / va-richmond-general / [va-richmond-general] Henslow's Sparrow

["Paul Bedell" <pbedell@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks to Arun for reporting this bird!  I stopped at Bandy Field about 11:00 
this morning and relocated the Henslow's Sparrow after a short time.  I was 
standing in the grass in the little draw when a small short-tailed olive 
-yellow sparrow suddenly flew out of the grass not 3 feet from where I was 
standing.  It disappeared into a brushy area where the water flows out of.  I 
did no pishing not wanting to disturb it.  I had to wait about 20 minutes for 
it to reappear, which is when I got great looks at it as it furtively looked 
around to see if it was safe to fly back to the grassy draw.  It did fly back 
into the grass and I did not pursue it any further.  

I am familiar with this species from Nebraska.  Even though range maps don't 
show it extending that far west, it has expanded its range in the last ten 
years as far as Hall County, NE in the Platte River valley grasslands.  

Paul Bedell