Scholar Meets Vagrant

On the afternoon of May 2, 2011, Spencer Hardy assumed the role of dutiful son and student, returning home from a Sunday morning's birding to knuckle down on weekend homework assignments. Under a warm spring sun and only feet away from the feeding station, Spencer spread out at the family's outdoor picnic table, binoculars at the ready. Mere minutes into his first assignment, all concentration was shattered by a most unexpected avian visitor. Among the White-throated and Song Sparrows foraging nearby was an unfamiliar but unmistakable Zonotrichia with a bright yellow crown. Spencer didn't hesitate on the bird's ID -- Golden-crowned Sparrow, only Vermont's second ever!

Dad and fellow birder Doug confirmed the ID, and the phone calls began. Within an hour, nearly a dozen of the Upper Valley's most avid birders had arrived, all ogling and exclaiming at this West Coast vagrant that should have been in or en route to Alaska, the Yukon Territory or British Columbia. Birding listserves were contacted, and the Hardys opened their home to a potential onslaught of visitors. For a rarity like this in the Northeast (only 8 known records from New England and New York in the past 50 years), birders might well be willing to log some miles.

Sadly for some, including one Massachusetts couple who drove all the way up the next morning, the Hardys' Golden-crowned Sparrow was a one-day wonder and hasn't been seen since May 2. However, the chance encounter was a marvel for those who were lucky enough to witness it, and we're pleased to report that Spencer completed his homework in a timely manner!