We have been participating in bird surveys for the Washington Native Plant
Society. Today (June 1, 1996) on their Candy Mountain plot, we saw an adult
Black-throated Sparrow. We watched the bird at a relatively close range for
over a half hour. It would make short flights and sing from the sage brush.

We identified the bird based both on its field marks and on its song. The
bird had a distinctively black throat and upper breast and dark ear-coverts.
It also had a bold white supercilium and mustache stripe. It also had a
clear, white (unstreaked) lower breast and underparts. When it flew, the
white on the outer tail feathers was visible. These field marks (in
addition to its song) rule out other possibilities such as Sage, Lark, or
Vesper Sparrows etc. and the juvs. of these species.

This is our first WA record, but are familiar with this species from CA and
Malheur, OR.

The location of this bird is near West Richland. (T 9, R 28, Sec 19) From
I-182 take the Kennedy/Keene Road Exit. Take Kennedy to Keene and go West
to Dallas Road. Turn left on Dallas and just before passing under I-182
take the dirt road to the right (west). Proceed along the dirt road west
and north. There is a flat sagebrush area where the bird was seen. Candy
Mt is to the north with a line of power poles along it. This is private
property, not posted, and has lots for sale.

Also as part of this study we flushed 2 Common Poorwills (T8, R 23, Sec 22)
on a plot off Byron Road west of Prosser in Yakima county.


Bill and Nancy LaFramboise
Richland, WA
wlafra at oneworld.owt.com