George Clark, Ed Hack, Kyle Jones and I had a memorable 2+ hours this 
morning scouring the massive weedy patch at Foxstand (Royalton Hill 
Bridge Road is the named eBird hotspot).  Among the 10 sparrow species 
we found was a Nelson's Sparrow, which provided excellent looks at close 
range over several minutes.  This bird was along the northwest edge of 
the patch.  To locate this spot, go south along the patch edge directly 
across the road from the abandoned yellow house.  When fiorst found, it 
was only 50-75 yards south of the road.  The bird was solitary when we 
found it, unlike the hundreds of other sparrows inhabiting this patch.

This was by far the largest and most impressive sparrow concentration 
I've ever seen in Vermont, or just about anywhere else!  Highlights 
below, with counts of Savannah and Song sparrows definitely lower than 
actual.

Chris

Red-tailed Hawk  2
Carolina Wren  1
Palm Warbler (Yellow)  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler  17
Chipping Sparrow  7
Field Sparrow  2
Savannah Sparrow  71
Nelson's Sparrow  1      subspecies uncertain but likely 'interior'
Song Sparrow  91
Lincoln's Sparrow  5
Swamp Sparrow  7
White-throated Sparrow  39
White-crowned Sparrow  9
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  6
Indigo Bunting  2
Red-winged Blackbird  24
Brown-headed Cowbird  60

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15434204


-- 
Chris Rimmer
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
P.O. Box 420
Norwich, VT 05055
802-649-1431 ext. 1
www.vtecostudies.org