aimophila (from haima, blood-colored and philos, loving) aestivalis (summer)
Tuesday, May 3, 1983 — 3:00 pm
Conway, Arkansas — Happy Valley
I wandered up the hill to do some exploring. I eventually found myself in a power-line clearing that ran across the top of the ridge. The area was covered with tall grass, brambles, and scattered bushes. I saw the Bachman’s Sparrow singing in a low brier bush in the center of the clearing. Its song was a beautiful, clear whistle followed by a trill on a different pitch, somewhat like a Hermit Thrush.
A few days later, I was wandering in the same area when I flushed a Bachman’s Sparrow from the ground. I looked where it had flushed from and found a nest. It was a brush-covered “oven” on the ground in tall, thick grass. The opening was very well hidden and hard to find. There were two or three eggs inside.