Andy,
   Sounds good.  You are well within the migration period for Vesper Sparrow.  Rarely one will spend the winter in the Piedmont.


>
> From: Andy Martin <>
> Date: 2004/11/04 Thu AM 10:38:21 EST
> To: 
> Subject: [MDOSPREY] Vesper Sparrow id help
>
> 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
> 
>

Bob Ringler
Eldersburg MD