Pt. Lookout addendum and revision

BlkVulture@aol.com
Tue, 13 Oct 1998 13:31:05 EDT 

Hello again.

First, the addendum.  We also observed one brown-headed cowbird, and two field
sparrows.  

Now the fun part, the revision.

After a lenghty discussion with Jim Stasz (who seems to know a thing or two
about sparrows), and conference with Kurt, I must change the four saltmarsh
sharp-tailed sparrows to sharp-tailed sparrow species.  

After reading my post, Jim called to my attention that in the area we were in,
Nelson's is ten times more likely than saltmarsh.  After further questioning
and discussion, I have concluded that neither Kurt nor I observed well enough
the most important field mark to distinguish the two.  

Jim asked me the throat color.  While I was certain the bird had a dark malar
line, I was less certain of the throat color.  But since I had observed dark
streaking on the breast and flanks, as well as the mentioned malar line, I was
not sure what difference throat color made.  We had consulted the plates in
James Rising's sparrow guide to confirm what we had expected, saltmarsh.  What
neither of us was aware of is that Nelson's has a subspecies, A. nelsoni
alterus, the "James Bay Sharp-tailed."  This subspecies is not pictured in
Rising's book.  It is described in the text, but with some variation of Jim's
description.  According to Jim, and I have no reason to doubt him, this
subspecies can exhibit the same field marks that were mentioned above.  The
key is the throat color.  If it is white, it is a saltmarsh.  If it is the
yellowish-orange color, it is Nelson's.  

Since neither of us got memorable looks (or our memories failed us) at the
throat, then I am forced to leave them as sharp-taileds.  And since the
liklihood is greater they are Nelson's, and I called them saltmarsh, they will
remain sharp-tailed until we (or someone) go back and look at their throats.  

I would like to thank Jim for taking the time to point this out.  Anytime I
can learn from someone else's experience, I am pleased at the opportunity.  

Cheers, 

Todd Day
Jeffersonton, VA
BlkVulture@AOL.com