Gene Hunn, Seattle, 10 AM, January 2, 1998.

First special bird of the year. It popped out of a flock of Song, Lincoln's,
and Golden-crowned Sparrows & Spotted Towhees, about 100-200 yards south of
the junction of the Woodinville-Duvall Road and West Snoqualmie Valley Rd.,
along the east side of the latter. It was foraging south to north with
flock, which also included a White-throated Sparrow.

Very small bodied, about like a Lincoln's or even a bit smaller. Dwarfed by
a near-by Song-sparrow. Clear warm clay-buff breast with a hint of a central
spot (but it's certainly not a Tree Sparrow); crown finely streaked blackish
on light brown, broad buffy whitish central crown stripe; bill long-conical,
pale yellowish, legs pale, dark line from eye back meeting dark facial
margin curving up from the moustache line; whitish malar stripe below the
moustache; nape unstreaked gray; tail long, double-rounded, medium brown;
whitish wing-bars; back light brown streaked dark brown.

There! I've done my rare bird report already.

Happy New Year.