On 10/13/18 while sorting out Yellow-rumped Warblers, Palm Warblers, and
Tennessee Warblers, many of which came in after Fridays cold front, a
Clay-colored Sparrow was observed in a small weedy field and scrubby wood
growth adjacent to the south side of Hills Ceek Baptist Church in Emerts Cove,
Pittman Center TN.
The sparrow was clearly different from the similar fall plumaged Chipping
Sparrow, none of which were in this area. This bird had a very clean and bold
facial pattern, clean gray nape clearly visible, brown rump, buffy supercilium,
and the brownish eyeline did not extend through the eye, pale lores, slightly
buffy breast. There were no other sparrows around to confuse similar species.
The bird was moving too frequently to get a photo but it did offer clear views
with binos.
If anyone tries to relocate the sparrow, check the entire area around the
church and fields. Also observed here was a Philadelphia Vireo and Red-breasted
Nuthatch.
Keith Watson Pittman Center TN
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Keith Watson
Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
