Well, to be honest, I have done little birding lately. With the advent
of a new grandchild three months ago (living here with her mother and
father and older brother), it's been quite busy. However, it is yard
work season and we were out doing just that yesterday when I saw a
bird that I haven't noticed around here - a brown stripey sparrow with
a broad band of black around the back of its head and a bit of color
on top. A perusal of our trusty bird book found that it is a YELLOW
CROWNED SPARROW, unusual for us in Washtucna, I think.

Of note also is that we put in a honeysuckle vine in our back yard
(which we are working to make into habitat for birds and butterflies)
and attracted a female hummingbird. Not having noticed hummingbirds
around here before either, we got out an old feeder, cleaned it up and
put it up. We have had two different girls come by, we believe them to
be female CALLIOPE and RUFUS HUMMINGBIRDS.

If anyone is interested in stopping by to view birds in our backyard,
please email me - I am sorry if I were slow to respond in the past, I
got pretty bogged down in family matters. Also, behind our house (and
the vacant lot, largely planted with trees by our neighbor) is a great
walking trail through town where a lot of birds can be viewed.

Carol Dunster
cedunster at centurytel.net