I'm doing window-birding, looking out from a few feet above ground level this rainy morning, and I have a perfect view of a "first winter" White-throated Sparrow "showing some juvenile plumage". I'm using Rising's "Sparrows of the US and Canada", the old edition with its beautiful illustrations. 44c Plate 19 is the one I'm thinking is it, "similar to the 'tan stripe' morph' [which it might be]...Birds in this plumage can be seen in migration in October". Close enough. I will get a fuzzy photo if it sticks around and stops raining (camera not waterproof). Meanwhile, you can see the effect of the "more developed malar stripe" here in this photo of Super Anti-hero Ming the Merciless: http://fourcolorglasses.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/2012_0916_011.jpg which is what I thought of the moment I saw the bird.
I'd like to give a shout-out to Derek Lovitch for his book "How to Be a Better Birder". The section on sparrow ID (plus the helpful criticism and comment from several birders here on this list) have inspired me to find my resource books and take a closer look at each bird under the window. Thanks, Carol in Town Hill
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