I'd Rather B Birdin': CLAY COLORED Thrush

Welcome back to the bird d'pot! Seems like longer than two weeks, yet the days with company flew by all too quickly. I'm here today to share a few birds seen while out and about with family over the holidays...

Commonly seen here in South Texas:

NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD
Texas's State Bird
Habitat map: Mockingbird

NORTHERN CARDINAL
Habitat map: Cardinal

Then, while traipsing through a small city park, I spotted a rarity seen in this area. In fact, I haven't had time to check my 'records' of birds seen, so this may be a first for me -or second time in over a decade of birding in this state! As you can see viewing the habitat map link, it is mostly found in Central America, but occasionally showing up in South Texas. I had a long wait for it to actually come OUT of the park's wildlife watering trough to get the "full" view, but I managed to get a few clear images of it close-up...

CLAY COLORED THRUSH
Habitat map: Thrush

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I was told several weeks ago [over a month now] about a vagrant bird from Old Mexico visiting us at one of our local parks. One day last week, I was downtown for an appointment, and I thought...it's a good day to check to see if I could find it. I started walking around. Another birder was there, and I was asked what I had seen. I said "I just got here, so nothing yet." I also mentioned I was looking for the visiting bird. With camera in hand, the other birder said "I just saw it...I'll show you where I found it." Yep, sure 'nough. It was there. But so far into the trees ... not enough light. I scouted the rest of the park. Before I left, I returned to where we had seen it. It had moved, and was perched in a thicket. The lighting was somewhat better. Tho, I had to lean over a huge branch to get it into focus. Not real GOOD focus, but at least I now have a photo record of this. A new bird for me...

A Clay Colored Thrush!!

Long ago the Clay Colored Thrush was named Clay Colored Robin. But in the years that followed the name was changed from robin to thrush . It's habitat range is the eastern side of Old Mexico and down into a bit of South America. Recently a couple have been frequenting Southern Texas [mostly the Rio Grand Valley], with Arizona and Southern California unconfirmed. The last I heard, it continues to share the park here in Corpus Christi with some other migrating birds.

All photos below were taken at Blucher Park, downtown Corpus Christi...:

CLAY COLORED THRUSH
habitat map: Thrush

I didn't stay at the park long [it's a small park] but that day I also photographed these...

WHITE WINGED DOVE
habitat map: Dove

INCA DOVE
habitat map: Dove

NORTHERN PARULA
habitat map: Parula

...the following photos are honest to gosh DIFFERENT photos taken of ONE bird...the bird doesn't move much during the daytime hours unless startled, or their nest is intruded upon and threatened. They're night hunters. At first glance, I thought it was a Chuck Will's Widow which, like clock-work, they arrive at this park yearly. Then, while getting photos of it, I realized it was much smaller and stockier than the "Chuck", and not quite the same coloration even tho it was spotted under tree cover, I could see the difference [or thought so anyway]. Also, with this bird, the head is more rounded than that of the "Chuck". I got four photos and stepped to the side to get more light on the subject, and it flew off. That action also convinced me it wasn't a Chuck Will's Widow; the wing span wasn't long [wide] enough. I'm now 99% sure it's a whip-poor-will, which would be the 2nd one I've ever seen in my life [the other one was in the late 1970s in Loveland, Colorado]. ..