[wisb] Possible BICKNELL'S THRUSH in Madison
- From: JANE A DENNIS <jadennis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:09:12 -0500
Jane and I think we both saw a Bicknell's Thrush about mid-morning today, in
her back yard on S. Franklin Ave., west of the two large cemeteries near West
High, in Madison. It was perched on a low fence under dense vegetation for
about 3-5 minutes, so although the light was not so good, the long time gave us
a good view. It started out to look like a Swainson's, brownish-olive back and
spotted buffy breast. Soon it became a Gray-cheeked, because it did not have a
buffy spectacle, but only a thin, somewhat incomplete grayish eye ring,
slightly wider and slightly pointed toward the rear. It turned a bit, then, so
we could view the back, wings, and tail. All were brownish, and the tail
appeared to be just slightly reddish-tinged. It was very suspicious, at that
point, so Jane went for the Smithsonian Field Guide. She got back just after it
flew to the yard to the north, which has quite dense vegetation. So, we were
unable to even know about and then check the lower mandible color before it
flew. We looked at the photo in the field guide, but failed to check or even
remember whether the basal half of the beak lower mandible was yellow. Pishing
did nothing, I am disappointed to say, and we never saw it again. The one thing
we DO know is that it did not bob its tail like a Hermit Thrush, but that the
tail WAS slightly reddish. Since it was cool this morning, the bird was fluffed
out a bit, and did not look any smaller rhan the Gray-cheek or Swainson's
Thrushes (Bicknell's is 1/2 inch shorter than the others). In looking at the
new Peterson and old Sibley's guides, the descriptions are similar to
Smithsonian's. We hope that other birders in the area will watch for this bird.
Two days ago there was a brisk NE wind upon which it could have arrived in its
southern migration from extreme NE United States. --Bill Brooks and Jane
Dennis, Dane Co.
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