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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0050_01CEAEF2.2A4310C0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Hans Toom=20 To: NS-RBA=20 Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 1:23 PM Subject: Probable Smith's Longspur On September 9, 2013, I reported a possible Bachman's Sparrow in the = gulley at Duncan's Cove. In retrospect and a couple of nights sleep on = the matter I have concluded that I skewed my own observations and that = the bird I saw was not a Bachman's Sparrow. The excitement of seeing a = unique bird in the open at a distance of just 15 feet is my only excuse. = The following description of what I saw represents the two second ocular = clip that was seared into my brain. These observations can be summarized = as: -The bird had a distinct facial patch very similar to a Lapland = Longspur, a bird I am very familiar with; -The bird was a large sparrow size of about 6 inches in length as I = estimated in the field; -The bird was bright ocher(rusty brownish-yellow) from the chin to the = under parts, not "buffy". The combination of the above observations surprisingly matches only one = bird in Sibley's, the male Smith's Longspur, in non breeding or = transition plumage. Delete all candidate birds with a white belly or = lacking the facial patch. The Smith's Longspur is a tundra nester and would be quite at home on = the barrens around Duncan's Cove and in the upland grasses above = Duncan's Cove beach. The birds are active in this area generally between two to five hours = after sunrise, and hunkered down most of the rest of the day but birds = will be birds, so who knows? Hans _________________________________________________________________________= ________________________________ Hans Toom Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada http://www.hanstoom.com/ ------=_NextPart_000_0050_01CEAEF2.2A4310C0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.23515"> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----=20 <DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A=20 title=3Dhtoom@hfx.eastlink.ca href=3D"mailto:htoom@hfx.eastlink.ca">Hans = Toom</A>=20 </DIV> <DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=3DNS-RBA@yahoogroups.com=20 href=3D"mailto:NS-RBA@yahoogroups.com">NS-RBA</A> </DIV> <DIV><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, September 11, 2013 1:23 PM</DIV> <DIV><B>Subject:</B> Probable Smith's Longspur</DIV></DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>On September 9, 2013, I reported a = possible=20 <STRONG>Bachman's Sparrow</STRONG> in the gulley at Duncan's Cove. In = retrospect=20 and a couple of nights sleep on the matter I have concluded that I = skewed my own=20 observations and that the bird I saw was not a Bachman's Sparrow.=20 The excitement of seeing a unique bird in the open at a = distance=20 of just 15 feet is my only excuse. The following description = of what I=20 saw represents the two second ocular clip that was seared into my = brain.=20 These observations can be summarized as:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>-The bird had a distinct facial patch = very similar=20 to a<STRONG> Lapland Longspur</STRONG>, a bird I am very familiar=20 with;</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>-The bird was a large sparrow size = of about 6=20 inches in length as I estimated in the field;</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>-The bird was bright = <STRONG>ocher</STRONG>(rusty=20 brownish-yellow) from the chin to the under parts, <STRONG>not=20 "buffy"</STRONG>.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>The combination of the above = observations=20 surprisingly matches only one bird in Sibley's, the male <STRONG>Smith's = Longspur</STRONG>, in non breeding or transition plumage. Delete all = candidate=20 birds with a white belly or lacking the facial patch.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>The Smith's Longspur is = a tundra nester=20 and would be quite at home on the barrens around Duncan's Cove and in = the upland=20 grasses above Duncan's Cove beach.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>The birds are active in this area = generally between=20 two to five hours after sunrise, and hunkered down most of the rest of = the day=20 but birds will be birds, so who knows?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2=20 face=3DArial><BR>Hans<BR>________________________________________________= _________________________________________________________<BR>Hans=20 Toom<BR>Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada<BR><A=20 href=3D"http://www.hanstoom.com/">http://www.hanstoom.com/</A><BR></FONT>= </DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0050_01CEAEF2.2A4310C0--
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