Lark Sparrow 9/2/07 Muskegon County

[Dave Slager]

Sunday, 9/2/07

I found a LARK SPARROW this afternoon in Muskegon County near a family
reunion I was attending.

Travelling on I-96 westbound towards Muskegon, keep going straight
past US-31 and you will be on Seaway Dr.  After a mile turn right on
Getty St, then right again on Norton Ave, then right again on Callie
Dr.  These roads are all signed.  About 100 yds down Callie Dr on the
right there are two old barns, and a bunch of woodchip piles near a
weedy field with scattered trees.  There is also a small row of White
Pine trees on the right side of the road near the woodchip piles.

The Lark Sparrow was hanging out with about 20 Chipping Sparrows, and
there was also an adult Red-headed Woodpecker in the area.  The Lark
Sparrow was very cooperative and I followed it around in the vicinity
of the 2 barns between 2:30 and 4:15pm.  I believe there's a good
chance this bird will hang around and be chaseable for a while.

I saw it behind the old barns, in the weedy field, on the gravel in
front of the barns, and perched in the trees.  But the best spot to
see the bird was along the road, right under the northernmost White
Pine in the stand I mentioned earlier.  It returned to this spot 3-4
times and was very cooperative.

I managed to digiscope a record shot of the bird through my
binoculars.  I'll post it shortly at http://empidonax.blogspot.com/

My relative lives next to this property and said it shouldn't be a
problem for birders to walk around in that field and by those old
barns looking for the bird.  She will mention it to the property
owner.

Good luck and good birding!

Dave Slager
Grand Rapids, MI