MA - Nelson's and other sparrows in Franklin County

Nelson's Sparrow - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 7th, 2018.

Image appears courtesy of Josh Layfield. 

The last three days have seen more than just a gradual shift from migrant warblers to migrant sparrows. Pride of place among the sparrows, hands-down, has to be the Nelson's Sparrow found and documented by Josh Layfield in Northfield on October 7th. This species has long been on my wish list for Franklin County, so for Josh to have one teed up for a solid minute just a mile from my house was especially galling! Despite being thoroughly searched for on the same day and the following days, the little beauty was never seen again. Opportunities for finding Nelson's Sparrows in our area are limited by fairly sparse accessible habitat and a narrow time window (late September to mid-October) in which to find migrants. Josh absolutely nailed his self-found lifer with some great images and even shot an eight second video!

Nelson's Sparrow - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 7th, 2018.

Image appears courtesy of Josh Layfield. 

Nelson's Sparrow - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 7th, 2018.

Image appears courtesy of Josh Layfield. 

Otherwise, small numbers of White-crowned Sparrows showed up at multiple sites in Northfield from October 6th, as did the continued passage of Lincoln's Sparrows, and  two to three Vesper Sparrows featured at Northfield Meadows from October 6th - 9th. 

Vesper Sparrow - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 8th, 2018.

Just when warbler migration appeared to be tapering, the Northfield Meadows concentrated over 150  Yellow-rumped and 35 Palm Warblers on October 9th, along with at least three more glorious Cape May Warblers - what an autumn it's been for that species!

Cape May Warbler (first-winter) - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 9th, 2018.

Cape May Warbler (adult) - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 9th, 2018.

A Pectoral Sandpiper was slightly out of place on North Cross Road, Gill on October 6th where the same morning also featured a flyover Bobolink and plenty of migrating Yellow-rumped, Palm and Blackpoll Warblers.