Above is a picture of a Wood Thrush taken this morning. A birder who lives in close proximity to my work had reported it yesterday and was good enough to invite interested birders to come by this morning. I was fortunate to get several good looks, both with the naked eye and through bins, and four pictures that are at least good enough for identification. What a great way to start a work day.
As if a state rarity wasn't enough, we also had a White-throated Sparrow hopping around while the Wood Thrush was under cover. White-throateds are more common in Colorado, but this was a first in Boulder County for me.
It was with some House Finches, picking grit or seed off the driveway. The White-throated Sparrow has those awesome little golden tufts on its head, and in the early morning sunlight those and the white of its throat really shined.
I thought it was interesting how the different species approached the smooth concrete surface. The House Finches kept their bodies low, while the White-throated stood up tall as it searched.
One more shot of the Wood Thrush as well. It stands out from Colorado's more common Hermit Thrush by having bright white undersides with highly-contrasted,large black spots. Its head and upper back had a distinctive reddish brown color which was more apparent when watching it than what was captured in my pictures.
So two more birds for this year's list added in a few short minutes a stones throw from work, one of which was a lifer as well! I also added a Clark's Grebe over the weekend.
2010 Count: 206
Lifetime: 247
The little thrush is a pretty bird! I'd love to see one.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I wish the grasses hadn't been between us, but I guess you take what you can get.
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