Day 170: Nothing is more exciting to me than adding a new species to a Life List, whether it is a bird, plant, lichen or fungus. This morning, a solitary specimen of Zonotrichia rosea (Rose-Breasted Sparrow) was dining on the scattered seed below one of my feeders. The white supraorbital line was the first clue I had that this bird was something new to my experience, and as I made note of the other field characteristics (the blush on the face and neck, the white patch at the back of the head and the lightly flecked, warm brown scapulars), I rushed for my five-foot shelf of field guides. I will have to check with our local chapter of the Audubon society, but I do not believe this species has been observed previously in Pierce County, or perhaps in western Washington.
And if you're buying this story, you need to check your calendar. My profuse apology to the White-Crowned Sparrow I have so thoroughly abused with PaintShop Pro.
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