We banded another species of thrush today, the Wood thrush. These are much less common in south Florida than the Veery, Swainson’s and Gray-cheeked thrushes described earlier.
They are larger than the three Catharus species, although they are still smaller than an American robin. The back is a rich rufous brown, brightest on the head. The black breast spots are well defined and the bird has an overall dignified, portly bearing.
Here is some detail of the iridescence on the head and wing of a male Common grackle, an extremely abundant bird in south Florida but one we rarely catch.
The pace of migration continues to be relatively slow. We have had some of our biggest days in mid October during past years, but with no fronts scheduled to make it this far south for at least the next week, we have to settle for this steady trickle. American redstarts and Ovenbirds are tapering off, Worm-eating warblers are pretty much gone, and Gray catbirds, Common yellowthroats, Palm warblers and Black-throated blue warblers are on the upswing. Time to keep an eye out for wintering species such as Myrtle warbler, Blue-headed vireo and a stray Ruby-crowned kinglet. A couple of Eastern phoebes have already arrived.
The Wood Thrush is a beauty. I believe I have only seen these at Fort Desoto. For some reason I have had an unusual increase in Common Grackles this year. They tend to dominate at the feeders keeping other species away.