Last Sunday (10/31), at Woodstock Equestrian Park in Mo. Cty, I had a
quick but close look at a gray/blackish sparrow with streaked flanks.
The bird had a prominent eye-ring, a rufous patch on its upper coverts,
fairly large grayish bill, and the upper side of tail was dark gray.  I
flushed this bird and two others from a grassy strip between 2 soybean
fields.

Is there another streaked sparrow that might have a rufous patch in the
coverts nearest to the head and no rufous on other parts of body?  The
rufous/rusty patch was larger on this bird than the one pictured in
Sibley.  Is it too late in the year for a Vesper in Montgomery?  I saw
that Bob Ringler reported one from Somerset cty. last weekend.

I have never seen a living Vesper Sparrow, any help would be appreciated.

Andy Martin
Gaithersburg