RivaLeya at aol.com wrote:

> During my erratic very part time life as a birder I have mostly concentrated
> on water birds. Lately I have turned to my backyard and can identify the most
> obvious visitors :
> Robins
> chickadees
> house sparrows
> finches
> crows
> starlings
> variousswallows
> rufous hummingbirds
>
> But birds come through that are small and brown or grey of various sorts and
> I am at a loss. Could anyone supply me with a list of what some of the brown
> or grey city backyard suspects might be? Thanks!
>

Since we're not that far north of you, we probably see many of the same
grey-brown backyard birds as you Seattlites, which include:

black-eyed junco - small sparrow-sized with light triangular beak, often in
groups, male has darker head and brick red on sides under wing, light breast,
dark tail. The female is similar but not as contrasty. They flash white in their
tails in their dippy flight. Often in groups, and willing to pick up damper
foods (as on composts) than most other birds.

common bushtit - very nondescript gray-brown small, twittery, gregarious cute
bird; some have light eyes. They like to forage under leaves in the smaller
trees, especially ornamentals.

pine siskins - like streaked sparrows but slightly shorter tail and sharper
beak, often in groups and I notice they frequently precede or follow a group of
juncoes when foraging. In spring and in flight you might notice just the
subtlest hint of yellow on wings and upper rump.

house finches - males with raspberry or orange heads and breasts and just above
the tail (under the wings) - very pretty. The females are very similar to
streaked sparrows and pine siskins, plain, brown, easiest to identify when with
the male. Often sings when in flight.

house sparrows - the males are distinctive with brown, black and white markings,
with a black goatee, but the females look much like female house finches and
pine siskins.

Bewick's wren - a delightful little brown wren with long tipped up barred tail,
longish curving beak, pale breast and noticeable white eyestripe. Shy,
low-feeding, strong musical voice, seen more often than heard. Likes to travel
along fences and scrub brush - don't make your yards too tidy if you want to see
this one. Appreciate them; they are declining dramatically in the east and are
very vulnerable to cats.

And, we get the occasional glimpse of a song sparrow, a little darker and larger
than the female house sparrow with a concentrated spot of streaks on the upper
breast, lovely call, they like woodlands but will occasionally venture into the
edges of treed neighborhoods here.

Those are a few of the more common that have showed up in my back yard. Enjoy!

Mya Bell
myabell at 4-sightmedia.com