Hey Tweets!

Thought I'd give a subject line that sounds as dumb as I sometimes feel after seeing a gray and black bird! I took a peek at the ducks through the fence at Boeing Ponds, and then started east on 199th, planning to go to the fields at 204th this morning. I stopped for a grey robin-sized bird. I know for sure that it had black on its tail when it flew. I know for sure that it at least had a faint white eye ring, and I am faaaairly sure I didn't see signs of a mask. I'm up in the air on whether or not there was white on the tail, or on whether the bill was a better shape for Townsend's Solitaire or Northern Shrike. I'm assuming, despite the field marks, and perhaps because it was not seen well enough, that I had a juvenile Northern Shrike, especially at Boeing Ponds in winter.

So... bird sp? A nice puzzle for the morning, and a bird I may try to refind. Interesting when you think about it - toss Northern Mockingbird in there, and you've got three candidate birds from three different families. Not a mockingbird anyway! The solitaires in particular show up so randomly for me, that I'm never really prepared to figure them out right away. How appropriate to be left feeling grey about a grey bird on a grey day... :)

-Tim Brennan
Renton