Tweets - Today at Marymoor, I found a SMITH'S LONGSPUR, probably a basic
plumage female. It was initially seen with House Finches and Killdeer on
the grass soccer fields north of Snag Row. On the map at
http://www.marymoor.org/map.htm, it was on what is marked as field 9G, the
westernmost of the irrigated, green soccer fields.

It was still there at noon - we'd watched it for an hour at the time we left
it.

I believe this is a new bird for Washington state.

It is overall very orange - like the breast of a female Black-headed
Grosbeak or the orangest part of a Say's Phoebe. The upper parts are
heavily streaked with black. It does not have the bold face pattern of a
male.

In flight, the boldly black tail with white outer tail feathers is very
noticable. It's call was similar to a Lapland Longspur's.

Activity in the park this afternoon probably means the bird will move away
from the field in no more than a few hours. There is a concert scheduled
there tonight.

== Michael Hobbs
== Kirkland, WA
== http://www.marymoor.org/birding.htm
== birdmarymoor at verizon.net