Hi Tweets,

To add to Stuart's and Louise's reports:

1 Brewer's sparrow, I mean Sparrow :)

I suppose I risk public humiliation if it wasn't a BRSP (I've never seen
one before), but it sure looked like one (are they around Seattle in
migration? My field guide doesn't show them along the coast).

Just in case it's unusual, I'll provide some details, and you can judge
for yourself. If they're common, never mind the rest of the message, but
I'd welcome feedback on BRSP status here in Seattle.

I saw the bird feeding in a 10' tall willow and in a bush, less than 20
feet from me. My first reaction when I saw it was "Hmm, a _Spizella_
sparrow," as it was small, slender, flew like a Chipping Sparrow (the only
Spizella I know well), perched like one - in all posture and structure
cues, it was indistinguishible from a Chippy. There was a Wilson's
Warbler in the same bush that perched within a foot of the sparrow for
size comparison. The back was tan, with fine streaks. I didn't see the
rump. The crown was pale tan with fine streaking all over it. The
underparts were completely unstreaked pale gray. The face was very plain
- compared to a winter or juvenile Chippy the face was much less patterned
- no conspicuous tan cheek patch, no conspicuous dark streaks, but you
could make out two faint dark streaks (if you looked real carefully),
outlining the cheek area (i.e. one extending back from the eye, one
extending down and back from the malar area). Overall, it was a small,
very plain sparrow. I also saw the usual savannah, golden crowned, white
crowned, and song sparrows in the area.

I didn't note lore color as such, and if there was an eye ring, it was
inconspicuous.


Chris Hill
Seattle, WA
cehill at u.washington.edu