Hi all,

Just wanted to say that we (Wingfield lab, U.W.) have a grant in the works to
study all four of our longspur species on their breeding grounds (we have
already done a lot of work on Laplands and a little on Smith's; we want to
add Chestnut-collared & McCown's). If it gets funded (much crossing of
fingers here) I promise to measure & photograph all the known-sex birds
that I can. Of course, that'd be breeding birds, not rare Montlake Fill
wintering birds, but still it'd add some longspur knowledge to the data
bank.

Just FYI, my comments about catching & lapping the little guy/gal were all
in fun. To really sex the bird, we'd have to lap it. And I don't want to
risk lapping such a friendly little bird that is enjoying its life there
on the Fill, and giving so many birders such pleasure. I have had lots of
experience lapping, and it usually goes very well, but frankly, I am more
cautious with nonbreeding longspurs. Some Laplands react badly to laps,
especially fat nonbreeding Laplands, and I don't want to take a chance on
losing this little Chestnut-collared.

So, merry birding to all,
Kathleen