Dear Tweeters,

I tried today (2 January 2014), but did not find the Harris's Sparrow near the junction of Beaver Marsh and Summers Dr. (Skagit County). The eBird alert I received led me to a map that had a pinpoint located far from the spot where I thought the bird was. The eBird pinpoint is over in Dodge Valley.

Where I tried, there is a bit of a pullout at a road leading to the dike (no trespassing, dike district property). There were indeed vegetation piles nearby, close to a spot where some small, ornamental evergreens are growing. This was east of the little slough with the Skagit County pump station standing on stilts, and also east of the little semi-paved pullout that makes a bit of a loop on the north side of Summers Drive to the east of the pump station. There was a retaining wall with a big blackberry patch there where I think the HASP spot is. I did see quite a good flock of Golden-crowned Sparrows there, but no HASP, but maybe I was in the wrong spot?

So, if anyone has had luck with the bird lately, and can clarify the location, that would be great, since I am leading a Skagit Audubon "chase" field trip on Saturday, and would love to try for this bird during the trip.

Bird of the day for me was a Cassiar Junco at Spud House (WDFW access along Skagit River off Calhoun?Road's east end).

Yours truly,

Gary Bletsch?