This morning (5/17), I observed a "Timberline Sparrow" in hawthorns along
upper Cold Creek on the Yakima Training Center.
It appeared , from a distance, like a Clay-colored Sparrow, except its
facial markings were less distinct, and it sported fine streaks on its
crown instead of the pronounced median stripe of a Clay-colored. The
difference between this birds dorsal coloration and that of the numerous
Brewer's Sparrows nearby was quite marked. I would like to have heard this
bird sing. Along the Front Ranges in Jasper National Park in Alberta, where
the Timberline Sparrow is fairly common, I've heard this species sing. As
someone on Tweeters once said: "It sounds like a Brewer's Sparrow on
helium."

The numbers of migrants was impressive, but nothing like the fantastic show
in fall. I noted 45 species on a 2-hour walk there early this morning.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato, WA