The Vesper Sparrow is a rarely seen Summer resident usually only seen during October migration frequenting weedy fields and gardens.  Steve Golladay saw and photographed one this morning (10/18) in the Stony Kill Farm Community Gardens.  He reports that it “likes to hang out near the tilled plot in the rental gardens. The plot adjoins the garden  roadway and is a little past halfway through the group of plots. It’s the only one freshly tilled”.

     According to the description in SIBLEY FIELD GUIDE TO BIRDS OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA the Vesper Sparrow is similiar to a Savannah Sparrow but is larger, has a longer tail with white outer tail feathers and a complete white eye-ring.

UPDATE:  The Vesper Sparrow continues at Stony Kill Farm frequently the same recently tilled community garden bed alongside the garden road.  Carena Pooth photographed it on Saturday (10/19) and her image highlights the white eye-ring and white outer tail feathers field markings:

The bird was seen and photographed Monday morning by Maha Katnani and Deb Tracy-Kral in the same area.