lydia wrote:
Date: Mon, 24 May 99 17:53:48 -0700

"Just wondering if the bird I saw and heard in the bushes near the
Boeing Buildings in Eastgate was a Rufous Sided Towhee or not.
It was a bit larger than an Oregon Junco and seemed like its
breast was quite bright white. It's head was black. I couldn't get
a good look at its sides because of where it was in the tree and I
where I was in the parking lot... It's call sounded like a "tweetie
boid chirp" followed by what could be described as an an electronic
spring, like sort of a bouncy "tweeeeeee"."

Lydia,

Sounds very much like you've seen the west coast's Spotted Towhee
(Pipilo maculatus), which is the 'spotted-backed' variety that was
split from the unspotted Eastern Towhee (P. erythrophthalmus) which
is found generally out East. The "tweeeeeeee" call is diagnostic.

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net