Kudos to Michael Hobbs and Michael Schwitters for correctly identifying
Birding magazine's quiz bird C. This is the bird I thought might be a
Bachman's Sparrow. I had difficulty identifying this little sparrow
because....it isn't a sparrow. It is amazing what you won't see when what
you are looking at doesn't fit with what you think you should be seeing.
This is a mental trap that we all have to be wary of. Thinking this was a
sparrow, I blew past the black markings along the underparts and the long
claws on the rear toes. Long claws=long spurs=Longspur! The bird is clearly
a Chestnut-collared Longspur. Thanks to both Michaels for their input.

Jack Stephens
Edmonds, WA
jsteph02 at sprynet.com