Hi Tweeters,



Today I had lots of birds at my front yard feeder in NE Bellevue. The usual suspects were there: English sparrows, Spotted Towhee, Juncos, possibly a golden-crowned sparrow, and squirrels. I also saw what looked to be the smallest sparrow I've ever seen. It landed in my rose bush right next to the English sparrows and was considerably smaller and slimmer. I didn't get a good look at the beak but my first impression was that it was another sparrow but just really small. I didn't notice eyebrows or specific markings on the crown. It was very streaked with different shades of brown and was lighter over all than an English sparrow. The streaks were not limited to the sides but were also present on the breast.



Could what I have seen been a juvenile Chipping sparrow? My bird seemed lighter than that but the streaking pattern was similar. It didn't have the greys of a fox sparrow or adult chipping sparrow. Vesper sparrow is light but maybe too big to have been this bird. Too small to be a Cassin's finch (do they ever occur on this side of the Cascades?)? How large are juveniles in comparison to adults, if your bird guide gives a measurement value?



Thanks for your help!



Jennifer Wallin

Bellevue, WA

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