MA - Gill Lark Sparrow - 08/04

Sadly no pictures to share, but yesterday, whilst driving Matan home from a birthday party I heard the decidedly 'out-of-place' 'tsip' calls of a Lark Sparrow through the open car window and turned my head to see a long tailed, robust sparrow in strong direct flight over the parking lot of Oak Ridge golf course on West Gill Road. It was flying north, possibly alighting along the tree line directly north of the golf course parking lot. I didn't have any time to stop but may get back to the area to check it out over the next few days. The grassy fringes to the golf course would probably be an ideal place for a Lark Sparrow to feed along with the many (post-breeding) Chipping Sparrows that frequent the same area. 

On a personal level, this is the first obvious autumn migrant (or post breeding visitor) that I've have seen in Gill this season. I say 'obvious' because Lark Sparrows don't breed in Massachusetts or New England and this bird must have come from parts much farther south-west.

JPS