nancybille 1 Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 Hi! Everyone. Yesterday I saw this small sparrow on the road through Edwin B. Forsythe NWR, Brigantine Division in Atlantic County, NJ. It allowed me to grab shots from standing outside the car but only behind the door. I was once told that salt marsh sparrows are skittish. I recently read where Nelson are shy. This bird was neither. I ruled out a Lincoln and if you notice there appears to be a dark spot on the chest. The streaking is light and not bold, and the chest is gray. Guidebooks make this bird too dark gray in my opinion for a salt marsh and to early to be a Nelson. There are three photos. One of the back and there is almost no tail, maybe one feather. Below is a link to my Flicker account. The album is Help with ID of this Sparrow. Thank you, Nancy Erickson Quote Link to post Share on other sites
akiley 1,152 Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 This is a Saltmarsh- thin but district, not blurry streaking on the breast should rule out Nelson's. Also it's pretty early for Nelson's. By the way, did you post this to Facebook by any chance? These photos look familiar Quote Link to post Share on other sites
blackburnian 1,181 Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 I'm not totally sure about this bird. Nelson's can show streaking on the breast like this and it looks awfully buffy, as opposed to the crispness of Saltmarsh. Then again, this bird is pretty scruffy and ragged, so that may explain the lack of crisp breast and throat pattern. I would tentatively say Saltmarsh, but more photos couldn't hurt. Example of Nelson's with streaking: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nancybille 1 Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share Posted September 6, 2019 I posted just one frontal pic to what's this bird, but at the time I was still waiting for a consensus. Now I have a good consensus that it is a salt marsh and thank you for helping with this question. Nancy E. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nancybille 1 Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share Posted September 6, 2019 Blackburnian, I just posted was before I saw your message. I can see what other angles are available and another flickr link on here. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nancybille 1 Posted September 7, 2019 Author Share Posted September 7, 2019 (edited) Blackburnian, Here are additional photos of either a salt marsh or a Nelson. Edited September 7, 2019 by nancybille Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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