This afternoon (Wed.), I heard a short, well-partitioned buzzy, 
trilly series of paired phrases that rang a bell. It sent me running 
to listen to tapes/cds/audio. I was pretty sure it was a singing 
white-crowned sparrow. Then, about an hour later, I looked out my 
office window to see a splendid adult on the lawn. The crown stripes 
were so bold they seemed painted on. The bill was chocolate brown. I 
don't remember seeing so splendid a white-crowned before. My daughter 
got to see it in the binoculars too. My son and his friend also saw 
it, although it didn't capture the attention of these four year olds for long.

This bird, which briefly snapped at dandelions and checked out our 
small, work sink-sized pond, was backyard bird #100.

Howard Youth

Bethesda, MD