Hunt for the Varied Thrush

December 7, 2014

The super high tide has turned our lagoon almost into a lake for the last few days. Walking past the bridge I spot the Northern Harrier hunting and the Osprey had already made his catch and was busy eating his fish on top of his favorite post.

Keeping watch on the Northern Harrier, I notice her flying close to two California Clapper Rails. The two adult California Clapper Rails won't leave the water, they keep swimming in circles but mostly facing the Harrier.

I thought for sure that the Northern Harrier would grab one of the Clapper Rails, but she didn't go after them, she kept going southeast instead. It could be that as long as the Clapper Rails were in the deep water, the Harrier really couldn't get a solid attack because the Clapper Rails can dive underwater to get away. It may have been too risky for the Harrier to take a chance on attacking a prey in water... and with two of the adults together, it could be dangerous for her if she attacked one and the other came to its defense. There are plenty of Soras in the area that she can hunt safely.

  

I keep watching to see if the Northern Harrier gets a prey but she soon disappears towards the freeway on the Rios side of the lagoon. My attention is diverted to a feisty little male Anna's Hummingbird that lands right next to the trail scolding an intruder that has flown in. 

Great show of his iridescent plumage.

If you visit the San Elijo Nature Reserve, you will see male hummingbirds performing their courtship flights and chasing away other males from their territory. I have also seen a few Allen's Hummingbirds. This is really a great time of the year to observe these tiny little beauties.

Looks like he sees an intruder... time to chase the other guy out of his territory and it's time for me to go to the San Diego Botanic Garden.

I am going to the San Diego Botanic Garden to see if I can spot the bird that everyone is talking about... the Varied Thrush. As I was ready to leave, I ran into Eve Martin and she had the same idea of going to the Garden to find the Thrush.  She told me that she had seen several in the pine trees near the gazebo earlier in the week. 

I took the freeway but it was a slower drive than going on San Elijo. Eve was already searching for the birds when I finally got to the gazebo area. We searched for a while and it wasn't long before Eve spotted a Varied Thrush on the ground next to the trail but there was no way for me to take photos there. I decided to go up above the area where the statues of flamingo dancers are displayed.  I soon got to spot and take a shot of my first Varied Thrush!   A life bird for me. I finally get a shot  of one in the clear but the Thrush is perched high and I'm looking straight up. It is a female Varied Thrush. The females have gray on their breast as seen in this photo.

The area was getting darker and I was quickly losing light. I decided that it was all for today and that I would come back early in the morning to see if I could get a few more shots. A female Varied Thrush makes a quick stop just long enough for me to get one last capture.

December 8, 2014. Today, I came back to the exact same tree as I found the female perched yesterday and sure enough, I didn't have to wait long to spot one. A male Varied Thrush lands in the small tree near where I was standing.

  

Varied Thrush measures 9.5 inches long with a wing span of 16 inches. A three-quarter view of the male Thrush.

A front view of the male Varied Thrush. The male has the black mask around his eyes and the black breast band.

I'm hoping for a flight shot! Some birds give some signs when they are about to fly. These birds are quick to depart which makes flight shots very hard to get.

This is a female Varied Thrush. She lands on the upper branch of the same tree as her mate. This photo shows her back feathers which appear gray and the gray coloring extends around to the breast band.

Female Varied Thrush front view.

  

They were mostly found on the ground foraging under large trees with lots of foliage. I am finding it very hard to get a shot of these birds out in the open. This is a back shot of a female.

For an instant, I thought that this female was going to fly but she just dropped from the branch to the ground like a rock. 

 A male Varied Thrush.

He appears to be constantly scanning the sky for predators.

  

He should be worried!  There are Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper's Hawks and Red-shouldered Hawks that call this garden their territory.

One last pose from this male Varied Thrush and he drops to the ground and disappears.

The Thrush disappears into the thick undergrowth of the landscaping but there are many more bird subjects to photograph at the San Diego Botanic Garden. I catch a Ruby-crowned Kinglet gleaning the underside of the leaves for insects.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet measures 4.25 inches long with a wing span of 7.5 inches. They flutter and hover from branch to branch of this lush tree. By the time you find one looking through your camera lens, it has moved on to another branch! It can be quite frustrating. I finally manage to get a few flight shots.

  

The Kinglet spots a bug...

Got it!

These tiny insectivores never seem to sit still for a second. They are constantly on the move. A quick pose and he is off to get more insects.

This shot of a male was taken in the shade and it is very dark but I wanted you to see the reason it is called "Ruby-crowned". The ruby colored plumage lights up like neon when he raises his crown feathers in a display like a warning signal, much like the hummingbirds use their color to flash at danger or intruder. It is a fantastic treat for your eyes when you see it!

Have a good day everyone.