Lincoln's sparrow

One of the first tasks on my to-do list when we returned from our "Journey of Discovery" to the Midwest was to start to get ready for the Connecticut "Journey of Discovery" that I was scheduled to lead on Saturday, the 28th, at the Thomas Miner Preserve. In the late afternoon—a sunny but cool day—I made the Miner circuit, carefully taking notes and lots of pictures to use in planning what I would talk about and attempt to show the multitudes I hoped would show up. The advertised highlight of the walk is migrating dragonflies and anything else engaged in seasonal travels, and my foray made me feel confident that the critters would come through for me. But in checking out some brush piles by the American Elm grove—this is maintained to experiment with Dutch Elm-disease resistant trees—I spotted a sparrow I couldn't immediately identify. That isn't, to be honest, unusual, since I'm not good with sparrows. This one, however, didn't even look familiar. And for good reason: it's a Lincoln's sparrow, a species I'd never seen. One for the Life List, one for the thankfully cooperative photography list, and one for the Good Omen list in advance of the walk.