What a surprise today to see a bird on the ground at the feeder that I could not immediately identify (only because the same 10 or so species are there every day!). About Robin-size but mostly drab . long tail held high with a partially white feather on each side . some random white splotches on wings . stout bill . moved quickly about the ground grabbing sunflower seeds then disappeared under the nearby shrubs. We have been hearing at least two Towhee calling morning and evening in the adjacent woods and it appears that one of the couples has been productive! Interesting that Google Images is not very helpful with pictures. Kaufmann and Sibley only show the immature Spotted Towhee saying the Eastern Towhee is similar. The real keys, finally, were the behavior and the tail (both the partial-white outer feathers and its position - about 30 degrees above horizontal). Matt Valencic Chagrin Falls, OH ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]