Hi, Linda. Depending on where the sun was coming from, and the angle you
had on the bird, this
description might kinda/sorta fit a juvenile male Black-headed Grosbeak. I
wouldn't present that
bet as collateral to a loan officer, but it's a working theory to start
with...
Jim McCoy
jfmccoy at earthlink.net
Redmond, WA


-----Original Message-----
From: LDavey at aol.com [mailto:LDavey at aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2002 9:35 AM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: Backyard bird - ID help pls.


Good morning, Tweets:

We have had a pair of Bullock's Orioles sipping nectar from our "Red Hot
Pokers" for about a week now. We've managed to get so many photos, that now
when they arrive, we simply enjoy watching them. Two days ago, however, a
yellowish bird, which at first glance I thought to be the female Oriole,
turned out to be an entirely different one. I quickly snapped some photos
and had them developed. In the photos, the bird is sitting on top of a
bright red-orange colored poker, which may or may not be reflected in his
throat and chest. Also, the sun is intensely bright, at places shining
through the feathers giving them a white appearance. This is especially true
regarding the tail.

Here are the IDing details:

Bill: conical, light, short & stubby
Throat & Chest: Yellow below bill, turning yellowish-red at chest
Head: Small yellow-reddish patches just above and on both sides of the
bill, then darker crown patch
Sides & wings: light, yellow-ish streaked grayish or brown,
Size: 6-8 inches? Hard to tell, but my memory says smaller than a robin,
oriole, larger than American & house finches.
Habitat: Observed on poker bloom in our backyard, which also has
coniferous and broadleaf trees, wetlands & marshes on the lake just beyond
the yard.

I've checked in numerous books, and while I can narrow it down, I can't
nail it down. So, I would appreciate your comments, questions and opinions.

Thank you.

Linda Davey
Sammamish, WA
LDavey at aol.com

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