an Ammodramus drama

A mysterious Ammodramus sparrow popped up from the Spartina alterniflora this morning and presented a neat puzzle. What is an Ammodramus sparrow? Well it's a group of large-headed, flat-headed, short-tailed secretive grass sparrows that present some nice challenges to the keen birder. They're difficult enough when in their adult or breeding plumage. But this bird was possibly a juvenile thus upping the ID ante. Logically, it should have been a Saltmarsh (formerly Sharptail) Sparrow but it didn't really fit the bill. Saltmarsh Sparrows -- even juveniles -- are heavily streaked on the breast which this bird was not. It was, however, quite buffy on the face and even on the chin with a rather heavy bill, a noticeable eye-ring and a white median crown stripe. It was, somewhat surprisingly, a Grasshopper Sparrow and probably not a juvenile at all but an adult in moderately good plumage (unmarked breast, non-contrasting chin, reddish pattern of spots on the back). Only the second time I have ID'd this bird on the place.

Eric Salzman