The Curve-billed Thrasher
THE BEGINNING PART OF THE BLOG POST TYPICALLY REFERRED TO AS, ‘THE INTRO’
This week, Sunday Funday Monday was on hiatus so for this post I had (not really, no one makes me do this) three options:
do nothing; take the week "off" (yes, it takes me almost a week to write a post because I’m easily distracted and fascinated by lots of neato things)
revisit a past episode and select an answer to research or,
work on a non-SFM blog post and keep the blog post momentum going
Since there's a small pile of topics I've been meaning to dig into (my curiosity cannot be sated!), I opted for #3. In addition, I'm still figuring out how this whole blogging thing fits into my life. I've got a lot of partial posts written and an ever-growing list of things I want to talk about & learn; my current impediment to doing so is time & energy.
For this post, I want to talk about the Curve-billed Thrasher.
My buddy, the curve-billed thrasher
WTF IS A CURVE-BILLED THRASHER
I'm not going to go TOO in-depth about this particular species; there's plenty of information online to check out.
Briefly, the curve-billed thrasher is a medium-sized mimid, native to the Southwestern United States. I see them often on my hikes and one in particular, I see every day as it frequents our yard (and has for at least a year) & I consider them to be my buddy. These thrashers are gray with short wings and long tail feathers. The beak is curved, resembling a sickle. If you're able to see them up close, you might think they're always crabby!
Prior to looking it up, I had no idea that thrashers were mimids - birds capable of mimicking other birds or sounds heard outdoors. (and although I knew what a mimic was, I had no idea there was such a thing as a mimid)
If you'd like to learn more about the thrasher, here's a few links, including a link that will help you figure out what a "medium-sized" bird is:
Bird-sizing chart. You know, to find that perfect fit.
Wikipedia page on the thrasher.
Audubon society’s page (go visit and listen to its songs!)
WHY?!
Why not.
People write about stuff that interests them and a current interest of mine, is (are?) birds! Taking an interest in birds is NOT something I would have predicted but I'm certainly welcoming it with open (and flightless) wings as it combines a few of my interests: being outside, witnessing nature, and photography.
On the days I'm able to sit out back, I do so from early morning until the sun sets. Spending so much time outside allows me to watch & photo various birds that visit.
The thrasher visits multiple times throughout the day and lately (past month) has brought a friend along (not sure if the friend is a partner or child). I suspect the frequent visits may have something to do with me distributing crushed, unsalted peanuts and free access to our magical water bucket.
Skip meets the thrasher
I had tried offering some peanuts via Skip, my wooden hiking buddy, but the thrasher was not interested in the nut Skip had to offer.
Patiently waiting for a peanut
The thrasher will often come within a few feet and wait for me to gently toss a peanut to it. I’ve yet to get the thrasher to take the peanuts directly from me, but perhaps in time we’ll get closer.
We’ve got some plastic outdoor candles (battery-powered) that tend to collect water from the fountain (not pictured). The thrasher prefers to get its water from them. In this picture you can see it’s rogue feather and missing talons/claws on its right foot.
My buddy, eyeing their prize (a peanut). The thrasher will often take the peanut further into the yard and then drill into it with its beak. The drilling reminds me of a cat pouncing on its “prey”.
Fluffed up!
Every so often, the thrasher will sit still and puff itself up. They look ridiculously adorable in this state.
Night time singing
Every night, as the sun sets, the thrasher sits upon a neighbor’s saguaro cactus and sings. Despite their grumpy look, the thrasher’s songs are beautiful. The black dots seen in the image are gnats.
Because the thrasher doesn’t have flashy colors, isn’t a bird of prey, or some other third thing, I pretty much ignored it and considered it to be yet another “boring” bird of the Southwest.
I was wrong.
The last year or so I’ve been practicing slowing the fuck down and trying to notice what’s right in front of my face. In doing so, I’ve been able to have some unique interactions with a few different birds that frequent our yard which has been an absolute treat. To be able to participate in these creatures’ daily lives has become quite addicting. Sure, yeah, I’m distributing a small amount of unsalted, crushed peanuts, but it makes me happy to know that our water fountains and our kindness is giving these creatures a better life (I hope!).
Slow down. Notice and appreciate the small things. Life can often feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to.
Be kind to yourself, be kind to others, and be kind to nature.
