return of the varied thrush

Now that leaves are on the ground that need flipping over, the varied thrush have returned! That didn't take long.. I wonder where they hang out when leaves are staying put on their trees?

Thrush Day '17

We have not heard the call of a Swainson's Thrush yet, but one has been seen a few times today as it visited our holly-tree. The talented little bird hovers briefly as it snatches berries from the branch before darting in for a perch.

From www.allaboutbirds.org

Last year the thrush was first heard on 5/18, so it's right on time this year! Given the cold and wet seasons we've had, the thrush's timely arrival is very impressive; I had expected a delay. So much for that!

Update, 5.17
Sitting outside at 8pm, listening to the b'wit? and whi-burrr thrush chants. No spiraling song at this point, but warmer weather is coming; perhaps sunshine will do the trick.

May 18th is yet again our date for the first full thrush-call! Curiously enough, that's the only time I've heard the spiral call (as of 6 June)..

Final update - for the past two weeks the spiraling call has dominated our air-waves. Well, other than that turkey now caged at the top of our hill..

speed-mowing and bird-watching

I broke the 35-minute mowing 'record' just now. That's just the second mowing of the upper lawn, which should be more embarrassing than it appears. The lower lawns have not been completely mowed yet, and of course the lowest lawn (that I wasn't sure belonged to us!) has not been addressed yet in our 2+ years here.  Oops.

This heat wave came with a bonus ¼-inch of rain beforehand.  We managed to assemble the square garden and plant our vegetables, which had suffered during the previous warm spell in their pots.  Several plants received larger pots too, so that rain settled them in nicely.  Not everything is where we'd like it to be later, but in the ground beats in the pot when the sun beats down.

I haven't quite assembled the front-porch roof, which would also double as a sun-shade at times like this. We'll get there next week once these three days reaching for 99° have passed.

Our thrush count remains low, so they must be waiting for a major push soon.  Our robins still dominate the airwaves with crows singing bass croaks, and a few whistles and warbles intervene. I spotted our local Towhee again today, with his amber eye and colorful coat - but I do not yet know which song belongs to them.  Hopefully a few more of the Swainson's Thrushes will get here soon and sing us gently to rest and to wakefulness in the coming few months!






Update - how funny!

While shooting the Towhee I caught a Swainson's thrush staring at the funny colorful bird.. that's him on the right side of this other image! I had no clue the thrush was there until I went to crop some of the photos the next day.

Thrush Day!! May 18 this year

Must listen again next year to seek patterns.  Lórien's favorite song is here at last.
youtube video

bird confusion

similar yet decidedly different!

Oh my goodness - I had never heard of a Varied Thrush until today.  So the birds that I've often considered to be a darker variant on Oregon's state bird, the Western Meadowlark, is not a dark lark at all!  Live and learn..  The patterns are similar but beaks and backs are distinctly different.  And one wears a V-neck, the other a crew :^)

It could take a while to edit my many mis-birded posts, but the VT is the bird tossing leaves in our yard in search of lunch - Not the meadowlark.  Good thing I left Oregon before learning this.. and neither will be confused with our new state bird, the Goldfinch!

* nope, it sounds nothing like the Swainson's spiraling call, just a single note.  And since I've been hearing that call a lot in the past few weeks, I now know who makes it!  I should have heard it long before now.  Better late than never, I suppose.

that natural A/C again

I see Portland had two days of sunshine and 69°, quite impressive for early March.  Yesterday was wonderful up here in the hills, and Kelso airport had 72° - but today the marine clouds dropped in, burned off slowly and the west wind never quite failed.  The unlucky number was 63° - a fine day at the beach, but no ocean or salty smell - and no gulls in sight.

Which reminds me: Sunday afternoon during the Super Cedar's pruning we were treated to a Bald Eagle overflight for which I wasn't quite prepared.  Even without sharp focus it's pretty clear what's up there though!  The sun shining through the tail-feathers is a mighty good giveaway..