Jim McCormac kindly corrected my misidentification of the thrush I found at Spring Valley Wildlife Area this morning. The following is the exchange of emails that followed my first listing (in reverse order):
* I forgot to mention in my original post that I was able to locate several small flocks of Horned Larks in the Houston - Cornstalk Road area near SVWA. No buntings or longspurs, though.
There was no tail pumping, but it was making a low chuck call note - the reason I noticed it.
Thanks for keeping me honest, Jim!
Cindy
________________________________
From: "McCormac, Jim" <[log in to unmask]>
To: Cindy Beckman <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, February 6, 2009 1:04:28 PM
Subject: RE: [Ohio-birds] SVWA rail - no
Hi Cindy,
These thrushes are tricky, and this is a great learning experience. It is a Hermit Thrush, which can look very similar to Swainson’s Thrush under some conditions. However, your bird is too warm-rufous on the back, and I can make out the redder cast to the tail and rump area. The eyering also isn’t bold and buffy enough for Swainson’s. A field mark that is fantastic for Hermit – but of course not visible in a photo – is its habitat of pumping its tail, something that is almost certain to be seen if the bird is in view for very long. Hermit also makes a distinctive low chuck call note, but those calls take practice to learn, I know.
You’ve still found a very nice bird – wintertime Hermits are always a treat to come across, and often unexpected.
Thanks as always for sharing your reports!
Jim
Hi Cindy,
Thanks for your report, and I'm sorry you didn't get to see the Virginia Rail. That's a great bird to find in an Ohio winter.
I'd love to see your thrush photo, and if you can, please e-mail it back. As I'm sure you know, a mid-winter record of Swainson's Thrush would be unprecedented in Ohio. There are very few Jan/Feb reports from anywhere in North America, as these highly migratory thrushes travel to southern Central America and South America to winter.
Hermit Thrushes, which do routinely overwinter here and more commonly than generally thought, can be real foolers and look like Swainson's, especially if good looks can't be had.
Jim
Jim McCormac
Ohio Division of Wildlife
2045 Morse Rd., G-3
Columbus, Ohio 43229
614-265-6440
614-262-1143 fax
-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Cindy Beckman
Sent: Friday, February 06, 2009 10:59 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [Ohio-birds] SVWA rail - no
I tried tolocate the rail at Spring Valley Wildlife Area in Wareen/Greene County this morning. No luck on the rail, but from the ice-covered beaver pond I had a Swainson's Thrush. I took a photo, and although it isn't good quality, it's good enough to verify the id. If anyone wants to see it, send me an email and I'll send it to you.
Other than all the regulars, I had Red-shouldered Hawk. Nothing out of the ordinary.
______________________________________________________________________
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]
|
