Family: Turdidae
Thrushes and their allies are elegant songsters, they are usually long-legged with short, blunt tipped bills. They feed on insects, worms, snails and fruits. Some thrushes are brightly colored like bluebirds and Varied Thrushes and some are dull in coloration such as Townsend’s Solitaires and Gray-cheeked Thrushes. They can be found in many different habitats.
Steve and I have some sad news today: the mama Eastern Bluebird at Steve's nest box is no more. The last time we saw her at the nest box was Sunday evening.
Today, I am sharing portraits of a male Eastern Bluebird that were taken in my friend Steve Creek's yard. The male bluebird was bringing food in to his chicks.
I was able to get outdoors and into the sunshine yesterday. I visited my local pond and took a series of American Robin portraits at the edge of the water.
This is the first American Robin that I have photographed in local crabapple trees all winter long. Usually, by March, the crabapples are eaten and long gone.
It was a dreary, low-light kind of day last winter when I photographed this American Robin kicking snow to uncover frozen crabapples for breakfast from my Jeep.
I'm breaking from my own tradition this year and simply calling 2023 a wrap. Typically, I share photos from each month of the year and write about my journeys.
I haven't been outdoors much this week, but I have been hearing parts of the American Robin spring song at times when I have needed to go somewhere.
When I photographed this American Robin perched in a crabapple tree last winter the light was low, the sky was cloudy, and there was snow on the ground.
In 2024, the common name for Townsend's Solitaire will change, along with many other bird names. My recommendation would be to rename it the Juniper Solitaire.
Just a quick post this morning highlighting a young Eastern Bluebird photographed while foraging on the ground in my friend Steve Creek's yard in Arkansas.
All across the country it is nesting season for many North American birds. For some nesting birds it is also a very dangerous time because of fishing line.
This mix of urban birds were taken over a two day period close to home. Birds, no matter where they are, bring me joy, happiness, and even laughter.
This morning I am sharing a Western Bluebird memory from seven years ago. That day I found small flock of these colorful bluebirds in the West Desert.
I spent a little bit of time yesterday taking American Robin photos on frosty grass. The robins were feasting on ripe crabapples that have fallen to the ground.
This morning I am sharing four American Robin photos taken three days ago close to home. Each one of the robins looks like a borb in the snow.
After an overnight snowfall I drove to a grove of crabapples. I photographed this winter American Robin perched in one of the fruit bearing trees in low light.
My first bird of 2023 was an American Robin, actually it was a flock of about 50 of them flying over my head as I got ready to shovel snow.
I was thrilled to find and take pictures of a Townsend's Solitaire perched on the bare branches of a sumac on my journey yesterday morning to far northern Utah.
I only had two birds in my viewfinder yesterday morning on my journey up to the Wasatch Mountains. My best images were of this American Robin on a gate post.
It is always lovely to have a male Mountain Bluebird like this one I found in the West Desert in my viewfinder because they rival the color of the sky overhead.
Two days ago while I was high in the Wasatch Mountains this adult male Mountain Bluebird landed close enough for me to take photos of him.
I spent some time wandering in the West Desert yesterday morning and the only decent bird photos that I took were of this male Mountain Bluebird.
Yesterday morning I spent a few minutes taking American Robin photos as they foraged for crabapples at an urban park close to home in Salt Lake City.
Happy Solstice and Yuletide! Hello Winter! Happy return to the light!
Yesterday I was thrilled to listen to and photograph a singing Townsend's Solitaire as it perched on a juniper surrounded by tiny flying bugs.
I found quite a few birds yesterday in far northern Utah and of all the photos I took this autumn Townsend's Solitaire was my favorite.
This morning I wanted to keep my post short and sweet and sharing juvenile Mountain Bluebird images is pretty sweet I think.
I photographed my first of year juvenile American Robin two days ago as it foraged on its own high in a Wasatch Mountain canyon near a creek.
One of the birds I photographed on the June morning was this American Robin that was so close to me that I opted to take portraits of it.
I haven't had many bluebirds in my viewfinder this spring so when this adult male Mountain Bluebird perched on mullein showed up last week I was happy to photograph it.