Hey tweets, thanks to those who replied to my request for a photo of our recent Ruff visitor. I was not aware that she was a female. As best as I can tell, Washington State has never hosted a male Ruff in breeding plumage. Is that right? The Washington state records that I know of are all fall records, mostly juveniles. Wouldn't it be spectacular if we got a spring male someday? The photos I've seen show a wide variety of ruff colors, from black to white to brindle and even orange. How could any female resist?

- Connie, Seattle

constancesidles at gmail.com