Photos and Narrative by Bob Boekelheide

On October 7, while walking on Ediz Hook, Kathy McCoy discovered a pale longspur hanging out in a grassy area on the south side of the Hook. The bird turns out to be a Chestnut-collared Longspur, a species that mostly nests in the northern prairies of Montana, the Dakotas, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, then mostly winters in the grasslands of Texas, New Mexico, and northern Mexico. It is the first record of a Chestnut-collared Longspur in Clallam County and, if it is accepted, only the ninth accepted record for Washington. The bird is very tame, allowing close looks as it nibbles on grass seeds. Hopefully it will find the Hook welcoming while it is here. Thank you, Kathy!