I stopped momentarily to watch the warblers and that phoebe again. It was here that I caught sight of a bird flying in closer to the edge of the brush. I expected another Hermit Thrush with the flash of reddish brown and on account of the one that seemed to be following me along the trail. However, I was quite surprised when I looked at the LCD on my camera and noticed something very different in the frame. What I thought was two Hermit Thrushes in the frame was not the case. |
With spring upon us finally, I was inspired to write this entry on account of the wonderful chance encounters myself and other birding friends have been sharing. This one is special to me and I was reminded of it over the past week when one member of this bird species made an appearance in my yard. Here, I share a recap of that encounter. Making my way slowly down the Willards Island Trail at Hammonasset State Park in Madison, Connecticut, camera in hand and me dressed in a camo jacket, I listened to the various critters going about life. It was an overcast slightly chilly day in October, and that wasn't stopping the fun. The trail was colored with hues of yellows broken up here and there by the greens of cedar trees. A robin chirped. Several Yellow-rumped Warblers fed on wild berries. An Eastern Phoebe flitted from one side of the trail to the other catching insects on the wing. Once I reached the end of the trail where it would loop back to the main trail, I looked out upon the marsh. Waterways had herons and egrets fishing. Gulls flew about adding to the company of the long legged waders. Once I had enough, I continued around the bend to begin my way back to the main trail. This was a larger bird indeed with that same reddish brown color. Not expecting it to come out from the safety of the brush, I waited patiently. It did indeed come closer to the edge of the shrub line. Still somewhat obscured by the leaves and branches, I could see the longer bill, spotted white breast, and overall size making it a dead giveaway as to who was now in front of me. Ever elusive as I have encountered in the past, the Brown Thrasher was a lovely sight to see. It's beautiful colors seemed to pop against the pale yellows and greens of the fall leaves. What was even nicer was the fact that this bird didn't seem to care about my presence. Lifting my camera slowly, I focused and snapped off several frames trying to avoid the "evil stick people" from blocking my framing of of this bird. What surprised me even more was when the bird moved completely out of the brush and into full view I marveled at the intricate pattern of spots and the attentive eyes. My heart pounded for I had never been so close to a member of this species. I almost had to take a step back to maintain good focus and the encounter lasted nearly fifteen minutes with the bird eyeing me from his chosen resting place. To say he was handsome was truly an understatement. And still I was amazed he didn't seem to care I was right there in full view. He was not at all skittish as I expected. Being able to fully study and photograph this bird was a true privilege. It wasn't until another bird photographer was heard rounding the trail loop towards my position that the thrasher moved off into the protection of the thick underbrush. Inwardly, I thanked the bird for this fantastic encounter. I left there feeling truly blessed to see this bird in such close proximity. He made all the decisions. I didn't need to chase him down or move in closer. The bird did that himself. It was a moment of joy and, in reflection, why I am happy for the photos I now have as they captured a very special moment - an authentic moment - that I can cherish forever. Sometimes it is best to be patient and wait and let the critters decide on how the encounter will go.
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Powered by GreetingCardUniverse.com AuthorI am an artist and amateur photographer with a deep love of nature. I love horses and whales most of all, am knee deep in the model horse hobby as a painting/customizing artist, budding greeting card designer, and love watching crime drama shows as well as nature and science documentaries. Archives
December 2021
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