[Mnbird] bird id

[Pamela Freeman]

I live in northern Anoka county, Oak Grove.
My home is in sort of open woods, edge of woods, near a marsh and edge of a
creek and a pond.
I have a medium sized garden plot which right now is a weed bed waiting to
be hoed in, and half of it is hoed and is bare black dirt and a pile of
weeds waiting to be moved to compost.
This morning I spied a bird  I have not seen before. It was large sparrow
sized, brownish and streaked like a sparrow, but its head and nape were
black.
The breast area was white except where the black sort of mottled into it.
There was a bit of black that came down the back of the head along the
sides of the head, also. I could not quite see if the back of the head was
brown, but I believe it was. The top was black. The bill was dark, not
light. I thought at first maybe Harris's sparrow, though the markings on
chest and face and head were similar, not quite the same as in Sibley and
even a bit farther off from my Audubon's guide. But still, closer from
other species I could see. Still, it DID seem to be a sparrow. And a larger
one at that. What other sparrows have that black on head and throat?
But the bill was dark. Very much a sparrow or seed cracking bill. It was
foraging, I might add, for seeds, and was finding bits of seed and plants
and eating seeds, that I could see. The bill shape was right, and size, I
think.
I have some photos taken with my phone, but they are not good, taken too
far away, and blown up, they are quite fuzzy.
I was indoors, and taking them through a window and then through the grid
wire fencing of the garden besides. Some of the black streaked in a mottled
streak along the sides of the bird. across the upper breast and along the
sides. Orange or pink legs.
Definite bars on wings, two?
I have a good photo with my digital slr, but it will take me time to upload
the photo and isolate it and send it.
I may do that, if this description is not enough.
I know, a picture paints a thousand words.

Thanks
Pamela, and good birding to all!
Oh yes, and I believe  I spied a catbird this morning, also.

- Pamela
Never give up on a dream just because of the length of time it will take to
accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.
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