I've been trying for a couple weeks now to find a Clay-colored Sparrow
in the City of Alexandria, and after having luck this morning, I'm
pretty sure I also had one last week in the same location. But, I
wasn't completely satisfied with the look I had then.
I've been stopping by the Winkler Botanical Preserve within the limits
of the City of Alexandria a few times a week on my way out to work.
This is a nice and under-birded place right next to 395 and the Mark
Center. I say "under-birded" because there are hardly any eBird
reports from Winkler other than my own.
There is a great field when you first walk in that seemed like it
would be great sparrow habitat, so I've spent most of my mornings
exclusively walking around there. And I had great results in the
first ten minutes this morning. There were a couple Swamp Sparrows,
two Field Sparrows, eight to ten Song Sparrows, a single White-
throated Sparrow, a Chipping Sparrow in non-breeding plumage and the
best bird, a non-breeding Clay-colored Sparrow. A few male & female
House Sparrows were around as well as a ton of Goldfinches and other
seasonally expected birds. The only warbler I way was one Yellow-rumped.
The Clay-colored Sparrow was within ten feet of the Chipping - I
couldn't set up a better study if I tried. In the early morning sun,
the buffy flanks jumped out on the Clay-colored, as well as the all-
over general buffy tone; the mustache was present, as was the gray
nape. I never got a good look at the top of the tail, but it was
notched. Smallish-looking pink bill. The Chipping looked really drab
gray next to the brilliantly buffy Clay-colored. And the Clay-colored
had the expected strong facial pattern.
There no eBird records of a Clay-colored Sparrow in the City of
Alexandria. Has anyone ever had one?
Cheers,
Steve Hersey
Alexandria, VA
