Fletcher M. Smith of the Center for Conservation Biology (College of William
and Mary & Virginia Commonwealth University) has produced a very fine
article that treats identification of the "sharp-tailed sparrows," Nelson's
and Saltmarsh in some detail, with 60 color photographs showing differences
between the species and the subspecies.
You may download a free pdf of the article, which was just published in *North
American Birds* journal, on the Center's website or on the ABA website (link
to the article can be found at http://blog.aba.org/2011/10/no
rth-american-birds-65.html).
Fletcher's article comes at a great time for us, as these birds are arriving
back on the wintering grounds on the Delmarva Peninsula and all through the
Chesapeake Bay region's marshes. There has already been discussion of
several images from Isle of Wight County on this listserve, and hopefully
this article will help folks who are sorting through the plumages in our
many marshes (it's worth watching those Piedmont and Valley marshes, too!).
The Center for Conservation Biology website has great amounts of information
on their many projects, both in Virginia and abroad, including Fletcher's
recent work on migrating Whimbrels, featured recently in many television
news programs, radio shows, and news articles. Worth a look!
Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, Va.
