[Tweeters] Robins and varied thrush

[Blythe Horman via Tweeters]

Thanks everyone for your research on this, especially Robert Bletsch for
looking at historical records in books. I have seen varied thrushes very
occasionally during the spring and summer, and my conclusion parallels
Robert’s direct quotes. That is, Varied Thrushes nested in the Puget Sound
Lowlands until urbanization destroyed their habitat. Then, like many
animals, they were forced to breed in more inaccessible, mountainous areas.
Also like many animals, in the last 10-25 years, some individuals have
begun to return to the lowlands to attempt breeding. How successful this
will be remains to be seen. Are there banding records available?

I think this recolonization of suburban areas is not an uncommon
phenomenon. That’s why we now have human-wildlife interaction experts, in
the hopes of resolving conflicts with particularly charismatic or feared
animals such as cougars, bears, and coyotes without the old method of
simply killing the animal.

As another example of a large, noticeable animal recolonizing degraded
habitat, look at the humpback whale in Puget Sound. Unheard of when I moved
here in 1991, they are now common enough to be feature prominently in whale
watching tour advertising.

I assume many birds (and other small native wildlife) are attempting to
recolonize historical lowland breeding areas, but since they’re not
particularly charismatic or usually problematic to non-birders, they don’t
get much, if any, mainstream notice. They fly under under the radar, as it
were.
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