Hi Tweets -

Michael Hobbs and I were over on the eastside today to the Potholes
area. On the way home we stopped off near Vantage to look for possible
Black-throated Sparrows. On the Wanapum Road, about one-and-a-quarter
miles south of the I-90 exit on the east side of the road we saw a
Chukar with young. When we stopped and checked further we heard a
sparrow singing down the slope which sounded just like the
Black-throated Sparrow we had just listened to on the Peterson Western
Birds CD. About 75 yards away, perched on top of a sage was a singing
male Black-throated Sparrow. Grayish head, white above and below the
eye, nice large black patch on chin, throat and upper breast, and clear
white around. It sang for about 1 minute, flew to another sage, sang for
a while longer and flew over the edge. It was not relocated. Looked just
like the ones I have seen in the Southern California deserts.

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville, Wa
(425) 485-8058
bellasoc at isomedia.com