There is a ripping wind out there this morning and it blew the seed off some
of the platform feeders. I saw the birds looking for seed, including the
two Varied Thrushes that are hanging here this winter. Their favorite
feeder was blown clean so I put more seed out.
By the time I got back inside and was watching from the kitchen window, the
male Varied Thrush was eating seed on that platform feeder. A Steller's Jay
flew in with its typical boldness as if to say, "Get off this feeder, its
mine!" But instead of fleeing the Thrush lowered its head, with tail
pointing to the sky, and stood its ground. I could imagine its eyes were
glaring, and perhaps it was uttering curses at the Jay. There were a few
tense moments and then the Jay "blinked", turned sideways a bit, and flew
off. The Varied Thrush went back to eating ITS seed.
Lori Markoff
Eugene (South Hills)
