[Tweeters] Varied Thrush Numbers (long)

[David Parent]

Dear Tweeters,

As I plan for the South Whidbey Christmas Bird Count tomorrow and reflect on the Tweeters posts about changing numbers of Varied Thrushes, I’m thinking about the count of 2019. 

It was cold but no snow on the ground. As we approached a shady wooded draw via a gravel road, we noticed about ten Varied Thrushes by the roadside. As we stopped to get an accurate count we realized there were more, many more. We counted at least 79 but they were moving around so much there could easily have been 100! As we stopped counting we just stood for fifteen minutes and basked in the magical spectacle of so many of these beautiful birds. 

We drove on, continuing our count and since this is a dead end road we needed to return to that thrush spot. We like to say in birding and other life events, “timing is everything”. We scanned the same area 1/2 hour later we couldn’t find a single bird of any species!

Our count compiler contacted me and asked if we must have meant 19.

We have gone to that same spot every year for 15 years and have never, before or after,
seen more than 2 Varied Thrushes. 

Happy New Year!

Dave Parent Freeland WA dpdvmatwhidbeydotcom 

Sent from my iPad