Maybe I'm just not seeing the sparrow for the feathers but, while birding
off Frager rd. in Kent, my niece and I saw a sparrow that we simply can't
place and I've looked through all my field guides. He was sitting in a berry
bush and we saw him from the back and side. He had a black or dark cap,
clear gray chest except for just the tiniest bit of marking coming down from
the chin.Stripey back with two of the most beautiful rufous stripes on
either side of his back making almost a v. No stripes on face. I've thought
it was a savannah sparrow, a dotless song sparrow or even a really lost
Harris sparrow but nothing looks exactly right. Help, O Tweets. Help!
We also saw a very wonderful, curious river otter at Lake Fenwick that
watched us as intently as we watched him and just about every kind of duck
that is reasonable to expect in the Kent Valley including a Ruddy Duck.
Whoopee!
Rahne Kirkham
Federal Way, Washington
rahnek at foxinternet.com

There are no unimportant people.