With hopes of seeing the rare Henslow's sparrow a large group of birders assembled in the northernmost parking lot at Sandy Hook this morning. This bird is very elusive as it prefers to stay in thick grasses and does not fly too much. Unfortunately we did not have any luck with this rare bird today, nor any "rare"sparrows for that matter. However the day was still very productive, and full of time with friends.
At dawn I birded the Plum Island section of the Hook with John W. Together we looked for, and ultimately found, nice views of the Nelson's Sharp-Tailed Sparrow as well as the Saltmarsh Sharp-Tailed Sparrow. I also saw extremely brief views of a Seaside Sparrow as it flew away from me.
Unquestionably the highlight of the day was a Short-Eared Owl that was spotted just north of the Salt Ponds !
