Hi, I am a graduate student at the University of Washington who is interested in the breeding biology of fox sparrows. I was curious if any birders have ever seen breeding (~Mar-July) Sooty Fox Sparrows in Northwest Washington ? I have seen non-breeding Sootys around, but am particularly interested in whether there are any breeding populations in Washington and, if so, how abundant they might be in those areas. We have a few different races here in Washington at different times of the year. Here is a webpage with a few photos that might help discern those groups: http://thebirdguide.com/fox/fox.htm

I would be especially interested if these birds are nesting on the San Juans somewhere or, possibly, close to the Canadian border on the US side. If anyone has seen them, please contact me directly at dwacker at u.washington.edu

Thanks!
Doug