[Tweeters] the almost crepuscular thrush

[tomboulian at comcast.net]

I too have been treated to regular varied thrushes this winter--currently 
two males and probably 5 females, though not in the flocks just following 
the snow.  Previously, any varied thrush meant a grab for the camera; now 
they're just always around.  Eating millet--which was new for me--usually it 
was just the attraction of running water and some snowberries.  I use 
food-grade millet on the ground, so no shells, no mess, no sprouting, no 
sales tax--and they lap those up with their very long tongues.  First in the 
morning for sure, with the towhees.  Around all day , but more actively 
singing in almost crepuscular hours.  I wonder if the robins and varieds 
look at each other and wonder what the other's secret weapon is.  They 
certainly are built differently and forage differently, but look the same 
flying and flocking.

Thrushes really are low light birds--the robins start singing at 430 am in 
the spring.  Growing up in Michigan I had wood thrushes first and last in 
the day.  On the East side of the mountains here, the Veeries and Swainson's 
are all-day singers, but only in the deep thickets except at dawn and dusk. 
In Costa Rica the Clay-colored thrushes (national bird) were their 
equivalent to our robin, as well as nightingale thrushes.  And the Hwamei of 
Asia (and Hawaii).

And don't forget the nightingale itself, as well as "blackbird singing in 
the dead of night" from the Beatles' England...their blackbird being a 
Turdus thrush as well.

Mark Tomboulian

Shoreline, WA


-----Original Message----- 
From: Dennis Paulson
Sent: Saturday, February 11, 2023 4:39 PM
To: TWEETERS tweeters
Subject: [Tweeters] the almost crepuscular thrush

Hello tweets,

We’ve had Varied Thrushes in the yard ever since that cold, snowy spell in 
late December, and it’s interesting to have them around so much. One thing I 
noted is how they do well in very low light levels. I think that’s true for 
other thrushes as well—they seem to have big eyes.

They begin to feed before it is light out, when I can barely see a movement 
in the grass. Yes, they feed on our “lawn” where we sprinkle millet seeds 
regularly. And they feed on those seeds everywhere we put them, including in 
the shrubbery. They remain in the yard feeding until very late in the 
afternoon, too. I’ve noticed that Spotted Towhees do the same thing, often 
not appearing in the yard until it is getting dark. Of course they can be 
present at any time of day, but they are definitely the last bird to feed on 
some afternoons. With the short days in the winter, feeding at 3:30 pm can 
be almost dark.

Varied Thrushes of both sexes also bathe in our fountain just before it gets 
dark, too dark to see anything but a silhouette splashing in the water.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Dennis Paulson
Seattle
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