After being extremely inconspicuous all day, I just relocated the Sage
Thrasher about 5 minutes ago. I suspect the bird has been in hiding much
more today for two reasons: (1) the shift in the weather to showers, and
(2) the harassment activity of the two crows who are building a nest in a
tree 20 feet south of the manicured area.

Several people have asked for directions to Clark and the bird, so here are
both; after I do two Earth Week bird walks this evening, I will not be able
to check until after 3 tomorrow, so if you come over and find it, please
post.

Directions to Clark: From I-5, either north or south, take the Mill Plain
Ave. exit. Head east (right from Portland; left from the north) to the
first light that is past the interchange: this is Fort Vancouver Way. It is
less than 1/4 mile from the interchange. Turn left onto Ft. Vancouver Way.
As you go along this street, you will come to a light at McLoughlin Blvd--go
straight here. The campus will then be on your right, as will parking lots
(which are generally very full during the day). The bird is located closest
to the Frost Art Center, which is most easily accessed from the second
parking lot driveway, but you may find parking easier if you turn into the
first parking lot driveway, and then turn immediately right. If there are
any spaces, they will be in this far reach of the lot.

Once you are on campus, the Frost Art Center is on the west edge (next to
this parking lot) between O'Connell Sports Center and the
Foster-Hawkins-Hanna classroom complex. The bird has been in the barkdust
manicured area approximately 50 feet north of Frost Art Center and 30 feet
east of the parking lot. On all days except today, the bird has generally
been out in the open. Today, it seems to be seeking cover under a group of
larger rhododendron bushes on the northern end of the space. There is a
pink frisbee underneath these rhodies, which makes them easy to spot. These
bushes are the only ones that really have leaves to ground level, and I
think that offers this ground-using bird the most protection (perhaps
pseudo-sage).

When I saw the bird this afternoon, it was in the open. The crows started
harassing me, and the bird headed for the rhodies. Once under there, given
the cryptic coloration and the fact it might be doing that glorious
thrasher-hiding trick in the rhodies, it disappears. The bird can be very
hard to see, and several times movement has been key to finding it. The
area has a bit of a swale, and with dappled light and ground contour, it can
be quite invisible.

Good luck to those who come over to see it. It has been a pleasure this
week to watch the bird and to learn some of its habits, many of which I've
never seen due to its reticent nature in the sage.
RK


Ray Korpi, PhD
Portland, OR
Clark College, Vancouver WA
President, OFO