I found a Brown Thrasher while surveying Cherrybottom Park, a park in NE Columbus  adjacent to Blendon Woods.  It was in a woodpile in the upland field of the park just west of the Cherrybottom Rd. entrance gate.  Other interesting birds in & around the park & adjoining neighborhood included a few Hooded Mergansers (Big Walnut Creek is not completely frozen here), sapsucker & Pileated woodpecker (among many Downies & Red-bellies), and a mixed flock of Bluebirds & House Finches.  This is about the 4th time that I've found this mixed flocking behavior this winter, and wonder if it is an adaptation by the bluebirds to the colder weather.   The collective memory of the finch flock is probably good at relocating fruiting bushes and trees, but why would they put up with the bluebirds?  Perhaps the brighter, slower bluebirds make better predator targets, or maybe the finches just like color contrasts:-)


Rob Thorn
[log in to unmask]
EarthLink Revolves Around You.

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]