Subject: [Tweeters] Which thrush is in my yard?
Date: Mon Apr 23 13:20:32 PDT 2018
From: Barbara Deihl - barbdeihl at comcast.net

For a couple of weeks now, at many different times of day, I've been hearing sort-of flutelike calls, some going upward, some down and some staying put. Figured out the sounds are mostly in a downish mode, not particularly strident and with each phrase changing. I first thought i had both Swainson's and Hermit Thrushes and that they were youngish and just practicing their songs/calls. Then yesterday (Earth Day) a friend with a bird-call app come over, we heard some of the thrush calls, she played the Hermit one and, low and behold, it was a preponderance of downward riffs, soft and gentle and seemingly just like what we were hearing. Then, one popped out of the Portuguese Laurel and came to the ground and went merrily skipping and pecking about, showing off it's spots, eye rings and the orangey tail feathers. OK, this one, anyway, was a Hermit Thrush! So gratifying to get a good ID! But that wasn't all for the day - a trip to a nearby neighborhood to catch a glimpse of a pair of not-so-rare Merlins. Thank you, Mr. Earth-Day Sun, the folks who shared observations, a scope and an app. Nice to work together !

Barb Deihl
Matthews Beach Neighborhood - NE Seattle
barbdeihl at comcast.net