Reeves Bogs 9/4--Lark Sparrow

Lark Sparrow, Reeves Bogs
Photo © Jim Schill

I bird the same places a lot, with the hope that once in a while I'll get a surprise. This morning, Reeves Bogs was barely keeping my interest and I was thinking that at least I was getting in a long walk. I had circled the bogs and walked some of the wooded roads and was probably 3/4 finished with the place when I got to the road that leads back to parking area. I saw a sparrow in a bush, saw a white dot in a brown patch on its face and immediately I knew that it was a Lark Sparrow. I saw it clearly, fairly close for about 10 seconds, then got another look for a few more seconds before it dove deeper into the bush. 

Now the problems began. Despite searching around the area for about 15 minutes, the bird would not reappear. I had no photographs. Pishing didn't work, although I did call in catbirds, yellowthroats, and a Red-breasted Nuthatch. Was I absolutely positive it was a Lark Sparrow and not a weird Song Sparrow, which I heard chipping down the road? I dropped at pin on my phone and thought about the bird as I walked through the woods. Then I saw a Song Sparrow and I was 95% positive I had indeed seen a Lark Sparrow. I texted Jim with the dropped pin. I didn't want to start a frenzy as the bird was in an obscure part of the bogs (the entire area is fairly obscure, truth to be told).  Jim said he'd stop by later as he was at Whitesbog. As that was my next stop, maybe I'd seen him. 

I drove over to Whitesbog and out onto the bogs where I saw Scott walking with his scope. We were talking when Jim came up. Scott decided to go with Jim (Reeves is only about 15 minutes away from Whitesbog). So, I was thinking, "Sure, send two of the best birders in the state to confirm your sighting or else look like a fool." Actually, I really thought they wouldn't find the bird and then I'd have to decide just how confident I was in my identification. But they did find the bird and it was a Lark Sparrow and Jim was able to get good pictures. And I was very pleased. Year bird, county bird. I put it on the local RBA with a caveat about driving to the spot. You can do it, but don't follow Google's directions or you'll end up at a breach in the dike.