Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Bell's Sparrow
Scientific name:	Artemisiospiza belli
Date:	02/21/2021
Time:	14:00
Length of time observed:	35 minutes of bird seen/location known within 55 minutes of following it down the wash
Number:	1
Age:	unknown
Sex:	unknown
Location:	Beaver Dam Wash
County:	washington
Latilong:	37.02884,-113.91162
Elevation:	unknown
Distance to bird:	10m
Optical equipment:	8x42 bins
Weather:	clear, sunny, warm
Light Conditions:	bright, bird was observed from East to West direction with Sun in South
Description: Size of bird:	5-6" long
(Description:) Basic Shape:	sparrow
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	brown back with a gray head, white underside with a dark spot in the middle of chest
(Description:) Bill Type:	short triangle, sparrow
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	Similar coloration to sage sparrow, with long tail. Clean light breast with central dot. Gray head with white near/above lores. Prominent dark moustache strip outlined by white. Complete white eye ring. Tail was dark, with brown coloring. Larger than nearby black throats.
Song or call & method of delivery:	making TINK-type calls. listened when cornell recording was played
Behavior:	Skulky near bush base, curious when cornell call was played; bird would pop to a low rock or outer branch of bush to listen. replied with intermittent TINK calls.
Habitat:	Beaver Dam Wash; Joshua trees, creosote bush, sandy gravel.
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	sage sparrow was also observed prior to sighting of bells. the bells was initially noticed as it just seemed longer, taller and brighter/high contrast.
Previous experience with this & similar species:	seen once prior, 2017, in same habitat/area
References consulted:	bells photo from 2017 sighting, cornell/all about birds site
Description from:	Notes taken at the time of the sighting
Observer:	Annette Gibert
Observer's address:	po box 520894, salt lake city UT 84152
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:	none
Date prepared:	3/4/2021
Additional material:
Additional comments:	Followed this bird for better part of an hour down wash (to South) trying to photo, but it stayed in bush bases or in flight and was backlit as heading into Sunlight.