The spotted towhee is one of our more unusual looking tree-dwellers. They have red eyes, kinda stubby looking wings on an often chubby looking body with white chest and rufous sides, and white spots. They are year-round residents in the Puget Sound region.

This towhee is only the second one I’d ever seen and was thrilled to get photos. Unfortunately, I had to use digital zoom, especially with the close-up, to get these, so there’s quite a bit of noise. Photos taken at Paramount Open Space Park in September 2015.