[obol] Benton County Chipping Sparrow

[Karan & Jim Fairchild]

We saw our first of the year CHIPPING SPARROW today, March 22.  Karan thought she'd heard one earlier, and we finally saw it amongst 
juncos on one of our platform feeders.  We've seen them here in only 12 of the past 20 years, and this is our earliest arrival date, 
ahead of the next earliest by an entire month, with average FOY date about May 2nd!  We've yet to have them hang around for the 
nesting season, maybe we'll have breeding  here someday...chipping sparrows reproducing that is!

Jim and Karan Fairchild
6 mi. SW of Philomath