Jack:=20
I have banded several Varied Thrushes in my yard in late autumn and =
early winter and your observation on vocalization is right on. I have =
spent a good amount of time watching these birds (once again out my =
living room window) and they tend not to exhibit alot of phyiscal =
movement when vocalizing. Let me know if you see any with bands!

Diana Peffer
djpeffer at nwinternet.com
Leavenworth, WA

----------
From: Jack Bowling[SMTP:jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca]
Sent: Wednesday, June 05, 1996 5:38 AM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Varied Thrush Calls

Wes asked -

>Yesterday my wife and I were enjoying the sunshine on an old logging =
road
>near Mt. Shuksan. I told her on the way up that I hoped to see some
>varied thrush once we got up higher. We weren't disappointed. I got =
to
>watch one with binoculars from pretty close. I was hoping to see what
>they looked like when they make their peculiar call. The one I was
>watching barely opened its beak during times we could hear the call. =
But
>I couldn't tell if the call was coming from that bird or one of many
>others all around. Can any of you fellow tweets tell me if a varied
>thrush only opens its beak just a little when it calls?

Well, I just watched a Varied Thrush singing this past Sunday at Mt. =
Robson=20
Park in the B.C. Rockies. It did the old "throw back the head and let =
'er=20
rip" version of a songster rather than the subdued exhibit you =
witnessed.=20
However, the bill was never very wide open - just enough to see the =
vibrating=20
tongue (which I believe is what causes the tremolo effect). I have also =
seen=20
the rather perfunctory displays so I guess there is a wide range of =
singing=20
"styles" depending on (anthropomorphic warning on) mood.

Incidentally, if there is anyone wanting to do something the first =
weekend of=20
June 1997, come on up and join in the 10th anniversary of the Mt. Robson =
Bird=20
Blitz. A Saturday and Sunday spent scouring the park for anything with=20
feathers. Managed to turn up 106 species this year. Firsts for the park=20
included 3 Red-throated Loons on Kinney Lake Saturday, and a =
Yellow-bellied=20
Flycatcher passing close enough to the campsite to be seen and heard on =
the=20
Sunday morning. Where else can you munch your lunch in the splendor of =
the=20
mountain scenery while a pair of Harlequin Ducks dabbles and dives in =
the=20
river in front of you? If you have never been to this gem of a place, =
you owe=20
it to yourself to go. B.C. Parks offers free camping to birders and =
coffee in=20
the morning at the visitor's centre. Everyone welcome.

- Jack
=20
***************************
*Jack Bowling *
*Prince George, BC *
*jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca *
***************************