Subject: VATH & spring
Date: Feb 23 16:42:30 2004
From: variedthrush at comcast.net - variedthrush at comcast.net


Ellen & Tweeters,

Catching up on recent digests, I saw Ellen's post regarding 2 a.m. Varied Thrush song. We still have at least 3 in the yard, but I've been wondering if one or two have left already. In the last week or two, I've noticed the behavior that usually preceeds their exit to the mountains--resting. This resting behavior usually follows prolonged feeding on whatever they scratch up in the leaf mulch (which is, by now, looking more and more like dirt and less and less like leaves.) They are digging shallow (1") holes about 6" in diameter. At some point, they stop right where they are and simply sit for a few minutes, somewhat exposed under a tree or bush. Today a female dug a hole under our Port Orford cedar with the nearest cover several feet away. This is a noticeable difference from the very cautious yard females of a month ago. I've not seen them in this yard past the end of March. Usually the resting gets longer and longer and less and less cautious until they begin to !
disappear for a day or two and finally do not return.

Patricia Lott

--
Seattle, WA
VariedThrush at comcast.net