[obol] FW: Idaho grassland sparrows

[DAVID IRONS]

I received these comments on the extralimital desert sparrows from Charles 
Swift in Idaho.  I was mistaken about the location of the Black-throated 
Sparrows.  I was thinking that Steptoe Butte is in Idaho.  As Charles points 
out, it is in e. Washington.

Dave Irons


>From: "Charles Swift" <chaetura at gmail.com>
>To: llsdirons at msn.com
>Subject: Idaho grassland sparrows
>Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2007 21:48:32 -0700
>

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Dave -

I've been following the discussion on grassland sparrows west of the
Cascades on OBOL. You made mention of extralimital sparrows in other parts
of the northwest. Just wanted to correct one thing which is that
Black-throated Sparrows have not been found in Idaho in unusual numbers or
locations, at least not in northern Idaho (and I haven't seen many reports
from s. Idaho where the species does breed sporadically). There have been
some nearby in eastern WA (for e.g. Steptoe Butte, Whitman Co., WA).

Brewer's Sparrows did show up in all sorts of new locations and in higher
numbers in the one local breeding location here on the Palouse. They have
been in a variety of shrub and grassland habitats (there is hardly any sage
brush in Idaho north of about McCall). There were also reports of BRSP from
older clearcuts in the Blue Mountains in se WA in June. The size of the
influx into our area in June suggested widespread breeding failures
elsewhere or perhaps a very successful breeding season last year pushing
many individuals into marginal (for BRSP) habitat. It will be interesting to
see what the bigger western U.S. picture is when NAB comes out.

thanks, Charles.

--
Charles Swift
Moscow, ID
chaetura at gmail.com