Recently, I had the opportunity to go birding with someone more experienced at identifying birds than I. Through this, I learned what to look for in identifying birds new to me, and was able to positively identify them on my own several weeks later.

But it just never compares to the satisfaction of doing it all on my own, without having someone point out a bird and say, “this is what it is.”

My most recent “very own” bird appeared at Maine Audubon’s Gilsland Farm sanctuary in Falmouth. A friend and I were walking across a garden area, which was surrounded by many tall spruce trees. A healthy under story of shrubs created perfect cover from which sparrows could dart out to forage.

The most prevalent sparrow there was the ubiquitous white-throated sparrow. These birds are one of the easiest of their kind to identify both by sight and by sound. Therefore, I had become somewhat blas? with them, and almost didn’t look carefully enough at a small group foraging near the end of a hedge.

Mixed in with three white-throateds was a sparrow obviously different. Before it flew to cover, I noticed its unstreaked chest, chestnut-striped head, and white-ringed eye.

A quick check of the Peterson’s guide led me to the possibility that it could be a field sparrow. I went back to find the bird, and was able to discern additional features: rufous eye-line and cheek patch and a pink bill. It was a field sparrow -and a first for me.

Southern Maine is part of the northernmost range of this partially migratory bird. It is a shy sparrow that nests in shrubby, overgrown fields, placing nests near the ground early in the season. It may raise more than one brood; if nest failure occurs, it will start another in as little as five days. Nests constructed later in the season are located higher above the emergent vegetation.

The field sparrow is not threatened, but some populations have declined when shrubby fields have grown into forests or been cleared for agriculture or development. Its shy nature and tendency to avoid nesting close to human habitation may also affect its breeding success.

The chance to observe this timid bird occurred through a large amount of luck. Also necessary was a good knowledge of bird anatomy and plumage arrangement. It helps tremendously to memorize these things before going out into the field; this gives your mind a clear blueprint to follow in what to look for. Last, but not least, never assume that all birds in a flock are the same type of bird. This is especially true during the non-breeding season, when many different species may flock and forage together.

Chris Corio’s column on birds is published each Saturday. Corio, a volunteer at Fields Pond Nature Center in Holden, can be reached at fieldspond@juno.com