Despite the chilly temperatures of late, things have been pretty quiet at all the feeders in the yard. The only reliable sighting is the gang of about a half dozen squirrels that enjoy all the seed and chase each other around the trees:
There are still some good bird sightings to be had, though. This morning was a perfect example when a pair of varied thrushes came through. They were foraging among all the leaf debris on the ground looking for bugs. This one perched nicely in our big-leafed maple before moving on.
I have a feeling there may be more bird sightings at the feeder in the near future, because it just started snowing!
Enjoy your snow, it does bring in the birds. I love the Varied Thrush. Great shot! I wish I could see it here in Maryland.
ReplyDeleteHi Monika - why don't our thrushes look like that!
ReplyDeleteCheers
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Gorgeous thrush. What a treat to have a pair visit your yard! I'm having a steady flow of squirrels too, especially a couple of young ones that are so funny to watch. One climbed my door and looked through the window, trying to reach the feeders. He had to give up since they're under a deck.
ReplyDeleteYep, once the snow covers the ground your feeders will be busy Monika.
ReplyDeleteGreat Looking thrush!
Eileen - Look for an upcoming post about the snow.
ReplyDeleteDave - I wonder the same thing about our woodpeckers compared to yours!
Vickie - Those squirrels are sure tenacious when it comes to finding access to the feeders!
Warren - Unfortunately the snow didn't last long enough for the feeder activity to increase. Now in the rain we're having it seems all the birds are hunkering down somewhere.
Good to see that the Varied Thrush is still around. When I first came to SJI in the mid '70s, Varieds were everywhere. By the '80s, American Robins started to appear in numbers, and Varied Thrush sightings (by me, anyway) plummeted. In recent years, I've hardly seen either Varieds or Steller's Jays (another species common in the '70s) during my visits. We'll have more opportunities to look for them now, as we're moving in year-round in two weeks.
ReplyDeleteAmoeba - These varied thrushes were actually in Portland, where I am for a couple months this winter. But, I have seen them fairly often on San Juan Island this time of year as well, though not nearly as much as robins. Steller's jays are a different story - never seen them on San Juan in the last 10 years, only on Orcas.
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