Baird's Sparrow (YES), Drennan Road, 1:00 - 2:00 PM Monday 1 September

[vorticity (Rick Taylor)]

I took a chance on an afternoon sighting and got lucky, but barely.  Seems like morning is best.  Sun was directly overhead.  Wind: breezy about 10 knots.  I had called Aaron Driscoll in advance.  "Drive slowly east on Drennan Road from Curtis where you see sunflowers growing between the road and the barbed wire fence."  I followed his instructions to the "T."  His advice paid off.   Lots of traffic on Drennan ... surprisingly.   I got lucky very early on about 1.5 miles east of Curtis, before you get to Edwards Road...still about a mile and a half west of Hemingway Road.    Paste these coordinates into Google:  38° 45.107'N, 104° 31.475'W

There are countless Vesper Sparrows, Brewers Sparrows, Horned Larks, Lark Buntings, Clay-Colored Sparrows, and a few Chipping and Lark Sparrows to sort through. If I had one recommendation it's to look for something that 1.  Looks a little different, 2. Is smaller than most of the others (more like the Chippies), and 3. Seems to be less skittish.  

I saw one at 1:00 PM, then drove slow all the way east of Hemingway to without seeing another one.  By 2:00 PM I was back in my original spot and may have seen the same bird again.  It very patiently sat on a fence post while I took several photos.  Very cooperative.  See the photos at:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/vorticity4/sets/72157647108393211/

Rick Taylor, El Paso County, Colorado Springs.

[vorticity (Rick Taylor)]

Okay, the jury is in.  Looks like this was a Juvenile Grasshopper Sparrow.  Drat. My photos are nearly identical to the bird Steve Mlodinow posted from further north.  Apologies for the confusion. I am learning every day.  eBird corrected. Rick Taylor