In our back yard we have a couple areas where we let leaves lie and we gather debris that falls from the trees. This pile of sticks and leaves attracts birds all winter who forage on the ground for food, including this varied thrush. It’s fun to watch them from our full length windows.
Hooded Merganser on the River
I am breaking two ‘rules’ for Breathing Space posting this photo, I’ve posted it before, and I didn’t take it within the last ten days, but I was chatting with a blog-friend about Hooded Mergansers on the river and wanted to share my favorite shot of one. It was a magical moment on a morning walk in the virgin snow coming to the open spot on the river and finding him there parading about in full hood. Amazing, and worth repeating!
sheri j kennedy ~ Riverside 
Cool. I love Hooded Mergansers, and they’re so pretty on a river, instead of a bigger expanse of water. In the snow, wow. The Varied Thrush has been a new one for me – they’re not in the east at all – and what a beauty. They’re coming to my feeder so I get to see them close. Birds are so hard to photograph. I guess first I have to really wash that window!!
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Yes, I’ve encountered the dirty window problem before too. 🙂 I didn’t know the Varied Thrush until we moved to North Bend. The first year they came in a flock starting in January and grazed our back yard every morning while I ate breakfast. The grass is at almost the same level as the carpet and the windows make it so it almost looked like they were at my feet. Our neighbors finished their fence in the back and the flock doesn’t come automatically across anymore. It must have been the pattern to sweep from their yard to ours. Now we see a few out front and some individuals or occasionally a pair in the back brush pile. I miss my breakfast companions!
We will still hear their burry calls early in the morning as soon as they decide it’s Spring. Very cool calls. 🙂
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Sheri, I agree that it is worth repeating! Lovely!
Blessings ~ Wendy
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Thanks, Wendy!
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