Hi Tweets -
This morning, before the heavy rains blew in, I came across a Clay-colored Sparrow at the Montlake Fill [Seattle]. It was hanging out with a group of Golden-crowned & White-crowned Sparrows, all seemingly adults. When I first found the flock, it was moving along the hedgerow that separates the main Center for Urban Horticulture parking lot from the road [ie, the parking lot east of the main CUH buildings, along the north edge of the parking lot]. The whole flock was moving generally towards the Fill proper, though I lost track of them before they got very far. I'd guess that though they might continue moving into the Fill, they may also be drawn towards the greenhouse area behind the CUH buildings -- this seems to be a good spot for sparrows to converge.

The Clay-colored showed a nice white supercilium and lores, a clean gray collar, off-white/gray unstreaked breast, and small spizella bill. It even sang a bit - a short trilled song that makes me think of a piece of a Brewer's long song.

Also out at the Fill, before I got drenched:
Tons of warblers - the Yellow-rumped Warblers seem to have increased in number -- also among the group in the cottonwood row that divides the CUH area from the Fill loop was a Wilson's, an Orange-crowned and who knows who else.

Several Least Sandpipers were around - one on the northeast pond[Shoveler's Pond], and several on the southeast pond [where the Solitary has been recently].

Vaux's Swifts were back in good numbers overhead as well!

Best,

Matt Bartels,
Seattle, WA