*Thanks goes out to Lisa Green and her family, for sharing the news of the Varied Thrush frequenting her yard. She was extremely kind in helping us have good, long looks at this bird, just as so many people out there have been willing to help people see Spotted Towhees, Carolina Wrens, Snowy Owls, etc. * *I was struck by the similarity between the habitat provided there and others where we've seen Varied Thrush in MN in other years. The yard offers shelter in the form of oak trees, conifers, shrubs, and woodpile. There are neighborhood homes with trees that have extant fruit, and the Greens have heated birdbaths, and a large number of feeders offering a variety of foods. * *When we viewed the bird, it was making forays from low perches to the ground, and foraging extensively in the leaf litter. It also appeared to be soaking up the late afternoon sun, as it sat sheltered against the woodpile. Doing a bit of preening there, it looked very much at home---though the only time we've seen the species "at home" was in a Glacier Na. Park valley, with a NW rain-forest micro-climate.* *Thanks again, Lisa-- the following is dedicated to you, and all the generous people of the birding community, scientists or artists, united in appreciation of wildlife, for what it teaches and how it affects our lives in a positive way: * *
Winter Treasure: Varied Thrush, Minnesota whatever possessed such a lovely bird to come venturing thus, afar? can it have any idea at all that it has become a star? likely it rode on a northwest wind, luckily landing here, in a habitat offering all that it needs by hosts of generous good cheer with plumage the colors of sunrise casting shadows of slate blue-gray, it offers to birders’ winter-worn eyes a sight that brightens our day (Linda Whyte)* ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html