Sparrow Workshop: Venture to Hooper Lane, 
Mills River Valley, Jackson Park and Lake Julian, 
Henderson & Buncombe Counties, NC 

March 31, 2009

Leader: Simon Thompson

We had a cold start to the day as the thermometer read a chilly 39F, but at least it did not rain on us. After getting scope views of White-crowned and Savannah Sparrows, the rest of Hooper Lane was a little bleak except for 3 Northern Harriers that gave us pretty good views. A stop at the flooded Van Wingerden fields was quite productive with a newly arrived flock of Pectoral Sandpipers, as well as several Wilson's Snipe and a couple of Northern Rough-winged Swallows, also March migrants which had recently arrived. Jackson Park is usually good for a few sparrows, and as well as the normal gang of White-throats and Songs; we found a stunning breeding-plumaged Swamp Sparrow and 2 very nice Vesper Sparrows. The latter gave us very good views as they preened atop some multiflora rose bushes. 

Then we went on to lunch and a warm up at the Mills River Restaurant, followed by a couple more stops in the local area, snagging our only Chipping Sparrow of the day before moving onto check Lake Julian. Marilyn Westphal let us know that a flock of Red-breasted Mergansers had been there the day before and we found them as well as an Osprey and 2 drake Blue-winged Teal. Yes, I know that the latter don't exactly fit into a "sparrow workshop" but we do look at anything that flies past us. We finished the day with 54 species and 9 species of sparrow.

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