[Birdnet] Black-chinned Sparrow - Blanding area May 5th

[Jason Pietrzak]

I just returned from a week in the field, and I had at least one
sighting that I thought was noteworthy:

Tuesday, May 5th, around 9:00 am I was doing a survey down in Comb
Wash near the BLM campground near the big pass through Comb Ridge. I
was in a wash when a group of birds began chasing each other through
the bushes and then, what I believe to be a Black-chinned Sparrow
popped out and landed in a low, eye-level branch of a mid-size
Cottonwood.

I got a clear profile of the bird and I saw the brown streaked back,
the gray head, and the bill. The "face" of the bird was missing the
black patch, so it would suggest a female or a 1st winter male. After
a couple seconds, it disappeared again and I had to keep moving to
finish my survey. An hour later I checked back but couldn't find it
again and most birds had quieted down a bit anyway.

Other birds seen in the same immediate area included:
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Bushtit
Spotted Towhee
Yellow Warbler

Anyway, according to my guides, BCSP doesn't normally occur outside of
Washington County, so a San Juan County sighting is interesting.

Any thoughts?

Jason Pietrzak
Moab, UT

P.S. No photo, no follow-up sighting, and a week late - what a report!