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somewhat lucky Swainson's Thrush and Tanagers and Grackles



    A Thrush hit one of the living room windows this AM.  It was on it's back 
and I could only see it's breast from my vantage point, looked like one of 
the gray Thrushes. After watching it for a few minutes, still on it's back 
and alive, I decided to bring it inside  because it was pretty cold this AM 
and the bird was in the shade.  Handling it only for a second, so as not to 
stress it too much, I put it in a brown paper grocery bag, closed it up and 
let it rest for an hour or so.  
    The bird was much more alert when I peeked back inside the bag, and after 
checking it over best I could with prior advice from Jill Froning and Janine 
Perlman, I didn't see any sign of injuries.  I let it go in the same spot.  
It was pretty neat to be actually holding one of my favorite birds, but just 
as neat to be able to let it go.  It flew out of my hands very smoothly, 
across the deck and into the woods behind the house, back into the same area 
that I've been seeing Wood and Swainson's for about a week now.  
    While in hand, the bird seemed so much smaller than in the wild.  I had a 
ruler with me to measure the bird in case there was a question between 
Gray-cheeked and Bicknell's, ha ha, since I had only seen the breast 
initially and it didn't look at all buffy, the back was pretty dull 
gray-brown also.  Once I saw the buffy eye-ring and lores I knew it had to be 
a Swainson's, but when I measured it from tip of bill to end of tail in a 
fairly sraight, out-stretched position, it barely measured 6 1/8 ". ??
    
    Also this AM had small flock of Tanagers, 5 or more Scarlet and at least 
2 Summer.

    Had a small flock of Grackles too, maybe 40 or so, first this season.

    Only slighty misquoted in the CH Newspaper Article,
    Shelley Theye

     
    
       

Shelley Theye
North Chatham County, NC
Psbmt@aol.com