Hi folks,

Got to stay home with my coughing 8-year-old today. Since it was a
beautiful morning, I set up the mist-nets and banded a few juncos, a
spotted towhee, a second-year fox sparrow, and caught a House
Sparrow. I don't get too many HOSP here in my yard in West
Olympia, but had seen a pair hanging out at my daughter's bird house.

I thought I might discourage this Passer by re-locating him. So, when
I went to the office in 'uptown' Oly, about 2 miles away as the weaver
finch flies, I took him along and released him near the downtown
MacDonald's. Figured that he'd be happy there, wolfing down old
French Fries and hangin' with the downtown House Sparrow crowd.

He sported a bird band, so I thought that if he *did* come back in
the next few days, maybe I'd be able to spot him. That was at 10 a.m.

At 1:00 p.m., I looked out at the feeder, and darned if he wasn't there,
chowing down on millet and black oil sunflower, happy as you please!

Guess my next step is to nail a plywood 'patch' over the nest-box hole,
with a smaller-than-house-sparrow entrance hole drilled in it....

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net