Watching a Polar Bear Club robin splashing in my unheated birdbath, two larger birds approached, spooked the robin off, hopped down onto the deck, walked around a bit, flew away. Repeated the performance three times. Have not seen these birds before and got just a quick glance; slightly larger than the robin, heavily mottled gray/brown/black all over--colored something like the female blackbirds we see now and then but larger and these birds walked upright, heads up, checking things out. Closest picture in my book is a female blue grouse. Possible?

Bill Andersen
university district, Seattle
ander at u.washington.edu<mailto:ander at u.washington.edu>