LOUISIANA BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE

REPORT FORM

1. English and Scientific names:

Cassin’s Sparrow, Aimophila cassinii

2. Number of individuals, sexes, ages, general plumage (e.g., 2 in alternate plumage):

One adult, sex unknown

3. Locality: LOUISIANA: (parish)

Caddo Parish

Specific Locality: Cane’s Landing north of the Bass Pro Shop in Bossier City

N 32.52579, W 93.74515

4. Date(s) when observed:

May 1, 2011

5. Time(s) of day when observed:

4:30 PM to 5:30 PM

6. Reporting observer and address:

Jeff Trahan

Shreveport, LA

7. Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s):

Terry Davis

8. Other observers who independently identified the bird(s):

None yet.

9. Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light):

Sunny day, a few clouds. Sun was in the west, I observed the bird in the easterly direction. The light was very good.

10. Optical equipment (type, power, condition):

Lica binoculars, 10x42. However, I did not use them to observe the bird because I was taking photos of it. I observed it through the lens of the camera.

11. Distance to bird(s):

Closest distance about 10 yards. Farthest about 75 to 100 yards.

12. Duration of observation:

Terry Davis called me at 3:50 PM to tell me that he had found a Cassin’s Sparrow at Cane’s Landing in Bossier Parish. I arrived at the location with my camera and occasionally saw the bird from about 4:30 PM until about 5:30 PM. Total time actually seeing the bird was less than one minute. However, it occasionally sang at the time it flew. I stood in one location looking for the bird for a little more than one hour. Most of the time, the bird was hidden in the brush.

13. Habitat:

Bird was seen in a building materials dump. This part of the dump was not yet being used as a dump and was covered with willow trees and ragweed both on average about 5 ft high.

14. Behavior of bird / circumstances of observation (flying, feeding, resting; include and stress habits used in identification; relate events surrounding observation):

Most of the time, we couldn’t see the bird. We did see it when it flew and sang except for twice when it sat in a bush or on a twig.

15. Description (include only what was actually seen, not what "should" have been seen; include if possible: total length/relative size compared to other familiar species, body bulk, shape, proportions, bill, eye, leg, and plumage characteristics. Stress features that separate it from similar species):

I will attach the photos that I took of this bird as a description to the email that I will use to send this report. I did not actually view it through binoculars because I was actively taking photos of it when it was at rest on a bush. I cannot take photos and view it through binoculars at the same time.

16. Voice:

I personally heard it sing only once as it flew and it sounded to me like a Cassin’s Sparrow. However, my hearing is very poor so I did not hear it as often as Terry Davis heard it. He can hear it chipping.

17. Similar species (include how they were eliminated by your observation):

It sounded like a Cassin’s Sparrow to me.

18. Photographs or tape recordings obtained? (by whom? attached?):

Photos taken by Jeff Trahan using a Canon EOS 50D SLR camera with a 400 mm Canon f/5.6 lens. The bird was about 30 feet away when I took the photos. These photos are attached to the email that I used to sent this report. Most photos were taken from about 30 feet away. One of them was taken from about 80 yards away—this is the one showing only the back of the bird.

19. Previous experience with this species:

Seen several times in Arizona and Texas and also Bossier Parish, LA in May 2008.

20. Identification aids: (list books, illustrations, other birders, etc. used in identification):

a. at time of observation:

None

b. after observation:

Sibley Guide to Birds

21. This description is written from: _____ notes made during the observation (_____notes attached?);_____notes made after the observation (date:_____); __x___memory.

I have not written a description because I took photos of the bird which substitutes for a personal description.

22. Are you positive of your identification if not, explain:

Yes. The song is that of a Cassin’s Sparrow.

23. Date:_May 1, 2011_________Time:__8:50 p.m.