Subject: [Tweeters] Fill Hermit Thrush
Date: Apr 20 17:02:34 2009
From: Connie Sidles - constancesidles at gmail.com


Hey tweets, Surber gave profligately once again today, this time in
the grove itself. I came upon a foraging Hermit Thrush just at the
entrance to the trail into the grove (east of the greenhouses). It was
grubbing around in the leaf litter at the side of the trail. I thought
at first it was my friend the Fox Sparrow. I've spent so much time in
that grove that even shy birds like the Fox Sparrow and Winter Wren
have grown accustomed to my face and will come out in plain view from
time to time. I love that little Fox Sparrow, so I was glad to see him
there - until I realized this was no sparrow. I was stunned. I looked
all last year for a Hermit Thrush and never did see one. This bird
looks so picture perfect it could have been the model for the
illustration in National Geo - or a descendant at the very least.
After dining on leaf litter critters, the thrush flew up to a tree
limb a few feet away and posed this way and that. It made me more
positive than ever that the thrush Evan and I saw out in the Youth
Garden field nearly two weeks ago was indeed a Swainson's.

Also on view in Surber, the Eurasian Collared-dove came back early
this morning. It first appeared in the field immediately south of the
CUH building and tried to perch in a scraggly tree near the chainlink
fence that borders the swamp. This effort not producing a happy
result, the bird flew to the tallest tree in Surber grove and perched
there for quite a while. So long, in fact, that I got worn out
watching it and went on to other climes.

Now here I am at work, trying to get something done, but all I want to
do is go back to my favorite place on earth. Whether you think of the
Fill as I do, or whether you have your own personal favorite place on
earth, I wish you time to spend a little part of your life there now,
in this season when the earth is turning on its axis and the birds are
coming back to their ancient homes. - Connie, Seattle

constancesidles at gmail.com