Tweets,
On Saturday, 9:20am, a "red" or "reddish" Fox Sparrow made a repeat
appearance at the Mull St. marsh east of Tenino, apparently the same
individual that has been sighted each of the last 3 seasons. The most
prominent field mark is a bold, rust-stained-white malar stripe that extends
into nearly a half-collar. The base color of the back up into crown is
gray-brown (paler and grayer than "sooty"), with rusty tinging/highlights
and distinct rusty-brown streaks on the back. The rump, tail, and "lower"
wings are deep/dark rusty or rusty-brown, the rump being brighter. The rusty
color in the underparts is concentrated mainly surrounding the throat area,
from lower head to upper breast. The streaking turns browner further below.
The background color of the throat and upper breast is nearly white-white,
changing to a darker shade further below, darkest on the lower flanks, but
never as dark or smudgy as a "sooty." The vent/undertail coverts are a soft
orangy-rusty-cream and unmarked as far as I could tell. The bird is hanging
out (again) on the west side of Mull St. between Scatter Creek and the
perpendicular fenceline to the north. Mull St. is about 1/4 mile east of the
city limits, accessed via SR507 (northbound toward Rainier/Yelm), turn left
(north) onto Mull. Good birding!
--Paul Hicks, Tenino, s. Thurston Co
phicks AT accessgrace.org