Sage Thrasher

This was a midday winter bonus. As I went into the kitchen of our Aldea home and peered out the main window, I spied a Sage Thrasher perched in the winter-bare red dogwood bushes—and it was staring right at me from just a few feet away. I hastily grabbed my camera before it flitted off. I had seen one in the last week near one of the granite birdbaths we have setting on the ground, but very early in the morning before the sun was up so it was difficult to get a good photo. 

This particular thrasher looked so beautiful against the bare dogwood branches and the midday light. The color scheme is inspiration for a painting. We planted red dogwood as we liked the way it looked against the snow when devoid of leaves. The thrasher showing up in these beautiful bushes was a bonus. They are skittish birds and will run away quickly if disturbed. They would mostly rather run than fly away when startled. I love the amber color of its eyes. Although I have read they can have beautiful lemon yellow eyes as well. Sexes are similar.

We did not see any Sage Thrashers last winter so I am happy they are making a return visit this winter. Our first winter in Aldea there was a group of six that made consistent visits to find water in our yard. I had read that they tend to hang together in the winter in these small groups and scour for food and water together. However, this thrasher was a loner. Perhaps it was enjoying some solitary moments on an unexpected warmish New Mexico winter day.

This particular bird did not stay long in the dogwood and flew up into a bare Honey Locust tree. This allowed me to get a few more photos of its smudged underside markings against the brilliant blue clear winter sky New Mexico is famous for. And also to get a better profile photo of its unique curved beak. 

The Sage Thrasher is sometimes confused with the much larger Curve-billed Thrasher, which also visits Aldea occasionally as I have seen them in our yard also. But I find that in low light conditions the Sage Thrasher and the Townsend’s Solitaire look very similar since they both have white or light eye-rings. Both were in our Aldea yard at the same time recently. These birds can be in our area year-round, but I have not seen them during the summer.

Click on photos to enlarge. Photos taken December 2016 in Aldea de Santa Fe yard.