A Pacific-slope Flycatcher is flycatching in my yard's tall Pacific Dogwood trees this morning. In seven years here it's only the second one I,ve seen here. (the other 5/30/07.) The nearest likely breeding habitat miles away.

In this relatively sterile urban neighborhood a bird I miss a lot is Spotted Towhee. I've never seen one in my immediate neighborhood. My great ambition is to eliminate my lawn and plant it all with native plants and create enough 'brush' to attract a Towhee, and or a Bewick's Wren, another bird seldom seen in my hood. I was thrilled a few days ago to spend the day listening to a loud Bewicks while working in a clients nice overgrown urban jungle yard a few blocks away. It was a little wren paradise. No Towhee's really is a sad state of affairs.

Jeff Gibson
Everett WA