When I was growing up on the farm, exploring, learning about my environment, was second nature. My little sis and I would be playing in the barnyard one minute then off to the orchard or the little pasture the next. Mom had taught us how to identify many birds, so we were always on the lookout for them, especially in the spring when they were nesting. I especially liked peeking in any nests we found and looking at the eggs or baby birds.
There seemed to be a lot of Brown Thrashers in the windbreak around the orchard. I so clearly remember Mom warning us to stay away from them, (the only birds that she did so - maybe it was because of their long beaks) that "they will peck your eyes out!" Such a dire warning scared me. I not only wouldn't go near them, I would run if I saw one. So, only from a distance did I admire what was, to me, a very pretty bird.
I was reminded of that long ago warning when I this Brown Thrasher was on the deck this morning. I think it was the first I had seen near the feeders, they usually are more reclusive, staying hidden in brushy fence rows or tangled shrubbery.
I had been catching glimpses, mostly size and shape, of a bird for several days. My first hope was that it might be a Mockingbird. I'm not sure I've ever seen one, but I've always hoped to. After seeing the Belted Kingfisher, I've decided anything is possible.
After seeing the Brown Thrasher, I figured that was the bird I had been glimpsing in the tree. Or, it might have been a Catbird like the one I photographed a couple of years ago. All three birds are in the Mimidae family.
Something else on the deck this morning was this sickly squirrel. Its lack of fur makes it obvious why some call them tree rats. Ick.
I don't have any recent sunset pictures to share, but here's a photo of some of last evening's dramatic storm clouds.
Don't forget to give those Brown Thrashers a wide berth. ☺
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