Monday, January 21, 2008

Wood Thrush Memories

The temperature plunged to 7 degrees this morning--too cold for me to go out. In looking back over some pictures I took last week, I came across a photo of a Wood Thrush nest. On that walk, I counted 6 Wood Thrush nests on one side of our driveway. Two nests were still here from the summer of 2006 but unused because wood thrushes never use the same nest twice. The rest were from last summer. Most were out on a limb only about 10 feet from the ground. But one was at least 50 feet up in a yellow poplar tree. I only discovered it late last summer because I found a piece of an eggshell below and then looked directly above me to discover the nest. When I took the shell piece back to the house to identify (via Peterson's Eastern Birds' Nests), I determined that it was a Wood Thrush nest.

I remember discovering one nest in particular on a walk down my driveway in July. Suddenly, a Wood Thrush landed only a few feet in front of me, frantically trying to get me to chase him. So, I looked in the opposite direction and up in an Eastern Redbud tree. There, I saw a Wood Thrush on a nest. Luckily, I had my camcorder with me and took video. Click on play button or ">" below...




The sound from the video is of wood thrushes but earlier in the summer. The first picture was from last week while the video is from July, 2007.

8 comments:

  1. wonderful memories of an amazing bird!

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  2. Mon@rch--thanks. I look forward to hearing my first wood thrush in a few months.

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  3. Very cool little video. Love those summer forest bird songs!

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  4. Jennifer--hope I can get some more video this summer. Wish it were spring!

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  5. I've been scouting the barren trees, too.
    My summer tanager nest was (fortunately for us) located just off our front porch last spring. And, without foliage on the maple branch, now is much easier to see.
    And I've located a hole that I'd like, if I were a barred owl.

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  6. Nina--that is so cool to have a summer tanager's nest nearby. We had one at the feeder last spring. For a while, I thought it was a Cardinal until I got out my field guide out to identify. Hope he returns and builds a nest! Joan

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  7. Thanks for the memories of one of my favorite birds. I too look forward to their return, especially knowing the dangers they face. It's great you have so many nests around, but do you notice much cowbird parasitism?.

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  8. Mojoman-No, I haven't noticed that the cowbird parasitism of the wood thrush nest. But, I do see a pair of cowbirds at the feeder so I guess they must be using some nest.

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