ML226530601

Age and sex

Unknown age, Female - 1

Observation details

A female of unknown age present since 19 Jan. A robin-sized thrush with crptic dark and light patterning in wing. I could see a dingy gray belt across the breast, underparts pale rusty orange, with flank feathers neatly marked and producing a neat scaled effect. Each feather was whitish with an olive brown fringe that came to a soft point distally. The crown was dark slate gray and bordered with darker lines. A pale orange supercillium swept back and broadened from eye to lower nape. The wings had pale orange wing bars and prominent pale orange band at base of primaries and across a shorter portion distally. This created an complex and variegated wing pattern at rest. The back was dark brown to olive brown. Tail similar color (I do not recall seeing the underside pattern). The legs were pinkish. The bill was dark (blackish?) and thin and pointed, seemingly long proportionately. The bird fed by hopping on the ground and pecking at or looking for seed. I did see it work a small snow patch, maybe looking for invertebrates. This may well be the first Kennebec Co. record, and certainly is in recent memory. Many records of this species are from private feeders, however, such as this one where the owners keep word quiet. So I might not know of all records. [5/5/2013 update: Birding at Vaughn Woods on 1 May, Don Mairs and I ran into one of the homeowners who said the bird was still present, though likely last seen, on Saturday 27 April. It ate mealworms for most of its stay.]

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 7D

Lens

EF400mm f/5.6L USM

ISO

500

Focal length

400 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/7.1

Shutter speed

1/3200 sec

Dimensions

2400 pixels x 1600 pixels

Original file size

2.84 MB