Rock Ptarmigan: Thank you for joining us. What species are you?

Bird: That seems like your concern.

The bird arrived in a hedge just as our interview began. It was small, brown in some light, less brown in other light, and unwilling to remain still while we checked the markings in a field guide.

RP: Could you turn slightly? We’re trying to see your wing bars.

Bird: I'm eating.

It moved three branches deeper into the hedge. We followed its shape through the leaves, then lost it when another small bird emerged nearby. For a moment, there might have been two interview subjects. We could not prove either was the original.

RP: Some readers may want a name for their list.

Bird: I recommend “bird in hedge.”

This answer will disappoint anyone hoping for a tidy field note. It also describes a perfectly good encounter: a few minutes spent noticing movement, color, behavior, and the particular plant that sheltered an animal from view.

We left the hedge undisturbed. Later, a recording helped narrow the possibilities, though it did not settle the matter. The notebook still says “small bird, feeding in hedge.” It is the most accurate entry we have.

RP: One final question: Will you come back?

The bird had already gone.