[Birdnet] Varied Thrush at Garr Ranch

[Kristin Purdy]

John Bellmon, Keith Evans, Jack Rensel and I saw a male VARIED THRUSH at 
Garr Ranch, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, today. We saw the bird 
in several places around the east end of the spring; he responded to brief 
playbacks of the Varied Thrush call twice (our attempt to get him to pop out 
of thick phragmites). We got prolonged good looks at him later when he 
foraged in the open in the grass between the fence north of the spring and 
the horse corrals. What a beauty.

John and Jack photographed the bird; their images will be their souvenirs of 
a great sighting. Mine will be the buffalo poop that I kneeled in in my 
attempt to get a better and lower view of the bird as it foraged on the 
ground northeast of the spring and ate Russian Olives. I may never wash 
those pants.

The birds were relatively active at Garr today and it seemed like a good day 
to find a spot and sit (but not kneel). All other species were relatively 
common except for the CASSIN'S VIREO John and I saw in the trees north of 
the bathrooms. And I thought the last one I saw two weeks ago was a little 
late for the season! I also saw one Golden-crowned Kinglet near the spring.

Shorebird numbers along the causeway were very low except for dowitchers and 
avocets; we only saw handfuls of other species including just one Pectoral 
Sandpiper north of the 'No Swimming' bridge.

The other notable sighting was one of the biggest Black Widow spiders I've 
seen in an expansion joint of the concrete railing on the north side of the 
bridge near the marina. I had to turn her over to see her red hourglass just 
to be sure. Watch where you put your hands. The partially leucistic Eared 
Grebe was in the water on the north side of the bridge.

Kris