Thrushes

Eastern Bluebird

Townsend’s Solitaire

Veery

Gray-cheeked Thrush

Eastern Bluebird

Sialia sialis
This birder drove slowly along Moul Road in Parma on 10 June 2001, scanning the row of houses on the north side of the road, and the open fields on the south for any evidence of nesting activity to enter on his Breeding Bird Atlas sheet for this block.Meadowlarks, Savannah Sparrows and a Willow Flycatcher were singing from the fields and hedgerows. But a wholly unexpected sighting on the other side of the road made this a memorable morning: A pair of bluebirds. It seemed to defy everything this observer had heard about this species: Seldom found this close to the lake, and seldom found near clusters of housing where House Sparrows might also be found. Were the bluebirds really nesting here, and could he document it? Twelve days later he did. When he drove back along the road, specifically looking for the bluebirds, he saw the female gather insects from a driveway, then carry them in her bill to a nest box placed in a yard between two houses. This was no isolated encounter. Atlasers were not only finding, but confirming bluebirds all along the south shore of Lake Ontario during the second Breeding Bird Atlas project. It was yet another indication of how dramatically the fortunes of this beloved songbird have turned for the better in recent years, thanks in large part to the thousands of nest boxes erected.
Background
Eastern Bluebirds have had a “place in our hearts reserved from time immemorial,” Beardslee and Mitchell wrote. (B&M, p. 345) The combination of brilliant plumage, tameness and predilection for man-made nest boxes makes this among the “most readily watched and easily recognized” of North American songbirds, breeding throughout the eastern United States, northward into southern Canada, and south into sections of Mexico and Central America. Literally hundreds of thousands of nest boxes have been erected by enthusiasts to help them compete against introduced species, especially House Sparrows. This species prefers open habitats, where it can perch, then fly to sparsely covered ground to snatch insects. It is a partial migrant, with some birds withdrawing from northern parts of the breeding range, others staying, with the relative proportion no doubt affected by the severity of the winter and availability of small fruits, which constitute its winter food. “Despite their reputation as ‘sweet’ and ‘models of pacific family life,’ they are pugnacious in some situations . . .not only males but females fight among themselves, and sometimes they kill each other over mates and nest sites.” Whereas felling of forests helped this species expand in eastern U.S. during the 1800s, planting of trees helped it spread into the Great Plains during the early 1900s. Increase in fenced grazing land, and nest box programs further helped it expand northwestwards during the last century. Despite worries over population fluctuations during the 20th Century, Eastern Bluebird numbers may have been larger than at any time in history; properly designed and placed nest boxes have greatly reduced competition with House Sparrows and Starlings in many areas. Populations appear to be generally increasing. (BNA 381: 1-4, 6, 23-24)
Local history
As a result of the clearing of forests by European settlers, creating the open habitat bluebirds prefer, Eaton (1910) listed them as common summer residents throughout our region. (Eaton I: county charts)R. E. Horsey, in his listing of birds seen at Rochester and Monroe County from 1913 to 1936, indicated average counts of two to 10 birds, on dates ranging from 23 February to 19 December, with a maximum count of 100 on 23 May 1935.However, as early as 1932 Edson and Horsey noted this species was having a difficult time competing with starlings for nest cavities. “With the coming of the house sparrows and their pre-empting of the bluebirds’ nesting holes, the bluebirds suffered a severe setback, but seemed to be coming back when the starling arrived and again deprived them of their nesting places,” they noted. “If their friends do not come to their rescue and place nesting boxes especially in the orchards and discourage the starlings from taking them, there is the fear that this beautiful, interesting and valuable bird will lose out in the struggle for existence.” (“Impatient Spring Birds Find Weather Surprise Waiting,” D&C, 14 March 1932) Indeed, Horsey added “decreasing?” to his listing of this species.The March 1949 list of noteworthy sightings in the Goshawk includes a healthy maximum count of 100, date and location not given. (GNR) Tanghe, in his 1953 listing of breeding birds in the Rochester area, still considered this a common nester at such locations as Bergen Swamp and the Burroughs-Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary near Bushnell’s Basin. (GOS, May/August 1953)And when he tallied up the sightings from 1,665 outings by Genesee Ornithological Society members from 1951-1954, this species was reported 429 times, trailing only the ubiquitous Robin in the thrush family. Seventy-nine reports were during the summer months; two were in January; average counts of 10-20 were reported third week in March. (KB 5:69: 5A-5B) However, by the late 1950s, it appears, this species hit rock bottom. “What’s happened to the Bluebirds?” John Brown inquired in August 1958. He noted that Howard Miller, statistician for the Genesee Ornithological Society, had received only two reports of Bluebirds that June and only one record of a migrating flock – nine birds – in May. Walt Listman, who in past years had tabulated hundreds of north bound migrants in past years, had recorded no more than two dozen that spring, and had found only one or two resident birds since. (BA, 14 August 1958)And the following year: “All spring experienced local observers have commented on the lack of bluebirds seen in migration,” Brown noted. “While records show a steady decline in numbers of Eastern bluebirds for the past 10 or 15 years, there was a sharp and disastrous drop in the late winter of 1957-1958 when a record cold wave moved into the southeastern states” where most bluebirds spent the winter.Only five had been found on a June Genesee Ornithological Society field trip to the Avon/Nations Road area, “in contrast to the scores that would have been seen two decades ago.” (BA, 25 June 1959)Readers and birders immediately called to report five pair breeding in Webster. (BA, 9 and 16 July 1959) Nonetheless, Edson, too, wrote that he was “becoming more and more concerned over the few records of bluebirds in this area.” (WBR, 6 July 1959)  “A very few Eastern Bluebirds were observed migrating along the West Lakeshore,” according to the May 1960 monthly summary in the Goshawk, “but the bird is still scarce as a nester except near Avon, where fair numbers were reported by (Jean) Haller.”Beardslee and Mitchell (1965), like Brown, also cited that cold 1957-58 winter in the south, decimating bluebirds on their wintering grounds and causing a “marked diminution” of numbers in western New York the following spring. Moreover, though “formerly abundant throughout western New York, the Bluebird, driven from the more thickly populated districts by the House Sparrow and more recently from its nesting sites by the Starling, has found the persecution too severe except in the farming areas of our territory,” they wrote. (B&M, p. 345-346)“There have been many recent springs and summers when it would have been difficult if not impossible to find more than one or two nesting pairs of Bluebirds in all of Monroe County,” Brown wrote in 1965. (BA, 10 June 1965)“Even about farms and orchards it has become much scarcer,” Bull lamented in 1974. “Dead trees are cut down, dead limbs are removed, and cavities and holes are cemented over, thus removing potential nesting sites…” (Bull, p. 437) Other factors included loss of habitat due to the decline of farming. ( Levine, p. 429)  Extensive nest box campaigns have helped this beautiful bird rebound. In 1985, for example, there were 7,321 nesting boxes registered in New York State with the Bluebird Nest Box Network in Delmar, N.Y., and 1,206 were occupied by bluebirds. 4,512 bluebirds were fledged. (GOS, July 1986)
Status
The Monroe County annotated list (1985) described this as a regular, uncommon summer resident and an irregular, rare winter visitant.Livingston County, Fox (1998) considered this a regular uncommon winter visitant (probable permanent resident) and a regular common summer resident.
Occurrence
Spring: The Monroe County annotated list (1985) indicated a range of arrival dates from 19 February to 16 April, with a mid range, or “normal arrival time” of 7 to 20 March. However, even later spring/early summer migratory movements have been noted at Braddock Bay. For example, 60 were migrating there (Nicoletti) on 3 June 1989. Such late movements by bluebirds are perplexing because most breeding birds migrate sooner and would not yet produce offspring ready to set off on their own. (GOS, October 1989)
Spring maxima:   50 on 27 March 1951 (Rising, Folker, O’Hara) lakeshore. (GOS, April/June 1951)   30 on 28 March 1954 (Van Beurden, Bieber), west lakeshore. (GOS, March/April 1954)   30 on 5 April 1959 (R. Dobson) hawk lookout, Braddock Bay. (GNR)   62 on 8 April 2007 (D. Tetlow) Parma to Carlton when record snowfall pushed grounded migrants to bare roadsides. (LG, June 2007)   38 on 16 May 1965 (Kemnitzers) migrating along west lakeshore. (KB 15:166)   60 on 3 June 1989 (Nicoletti) Braddock Bay, migrating. GOS, October 1989)
Summer/breeding status: The importance of bluebird nesting boxes in helping this species recover cannot be stressed too much. “The boxes have clearly made a positive impact on the number of bluebirds,” Fox notes. (Fox p. 74)Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Passamonte of Perry Road, Mt. Morris, reported in 1971 that the 20 nesting boxes along their “Bluebird Trail” hosted five pair of bluebirds that summer, who fledged a total of 30 young birds to maturity. Up to 20 birds were still around in October. (BA, 9 December 1971) The following year, they reported, seven pairs had produced 56 eggs, of which 46 hatched (BA, 26 October 1972); by 1983, the Passamontes had 30 to 40 nest boxes erected, with eight pairs of bluebirds nesting. One pair was feeding nine young in one box, “possibly the result of two females using the same nest.”  Perhaps the most celebrated nest box trail in our area was put up and maintained by Paul Conklin along Nations Road and other areas in Livingston County. By 1983 he had 47 houses up and during the course of the summer 19 were occupied by bluebirds “with varying success,” Brown reported. (BA, 28 July 1983) By 1985, he had 97 nest boxes. Thirty-nine successful nestings that year resulted in 198 eggs laid, of which 165 hatched, producing 146 fledglings. The first fledgling left its nest May 23; the last on 16 August. (GOS, February 1986) Other easily observed nest boxes are at the Mt. Morris entrance to Letchworth SP and at Genesee Country Village and Museum in Mumford. In 1957, the main breeding areas were to be found south and southwest of Rochester. (KB 7:19) In 1970, they were considered “very scarce” on the west lakeshore “for no very apparent reason.” (KB 20:129) Even in 1993, Frank Dobson noted the “definite void of breeding bluebirds in Lake Plains counties like Niagara, Orleans, Monroe and Wayne, despite remarkable success in the rest of the state.” (Birds, 19 Sept 1993)One theory was that the relatively cold waters of Lake Ontario kept the lakeplain too cool in late spring and early summer when bluebirds began nesting. That, too, has changed, and one need only look at the results of the two BBA projects for confirmation. During the first project, Eastern Bluebird was well documented in the southern half of the region, up to a line of blocks across the southern part of Monroe County – much like Wild Turkey. It was found in only scattered locations along the lake plain and lakeshore.During the second project, this species was not only found, but confirmed all along the lake plain, including blocks all along the south shore of Lake Ontario. The only exception was a core of blocks with no evidence of breeding in the suburbs immediately around Rochester, reflecting this species’ preference for rural, less heavily developed areas.

Even unintentional “nest boxes” have helped this beloved songster. Members of a Rochester Birding Association outing spotted a bluebird on a utility wire along the Pittsford-Bloomfield Road in June 1975. Stopping to investigate, they discovered that a pair was nesting “in a bent-over section of pipe that had apparently served as part of a backstop for a now-abandoned baseball diamond.” (BA, 11 June 1975)
Summer maxima:    10 on 19 June 1965 (Starling) Powder Mills Park. (KB 15:232)    12 on 8 July 1959 (McNett, Sunderlin) Webster. (GNR)    5-29+ during July 1982 (C. Cass et al) Nations Road. (LG, August 1982)
Fall: The Monroe County annotated list (1985) indicated a range of departure dates from 3 October to 16 November, with a mid range, or “normal departure time” of 20 October to 1 November. The Passamontes and other people maintaining nest boxes reported that the bluebirds would often disappear near the end of the nesting season, then reappear in September and October and tarry “For several days, inspecting and exploring nesting houses,” Brown reported. “Whether or not they actually remember the results of these inspections and return there in the spring is difficult to say, but it’s a possibility.” (BA, 26 October 1972)
Fall maxima:    24 on 29 September 1979 (R, and A. Shea) Groveland. (LG, October 1979)    27 on 5 October 1975 (RBA trip) Bristol Hills. (LG, November 1975)    40 on 6 October 1981 (J. and A. Foster) Nations Road. (LG, November 1981)    28 on 11 October 1982 (F. Dobson, J. Kesselring) Avon. (GOS, December 1982)    25 on 18 October 1980 (Clarridge) Avon. (GOS, December 1980)
Winter: Eaton (1910) considered this a summer resident only here. However, winter sightings beginning in 1948 seemed “to indicate that a hardier breed of bluebirds has developed,” Edson reported (WBR, 1 January 1951), and it is no longer unusual to find some in winter. Two were seen warming themselves on chimneys in the Conesus Lake area during the bitterly cold winter of 1976-77. (BA, 19 January 1977) In January 1981, Ron and Kay Ballard drove one afternoon to see bluebirds reported along Nations Road just north of Geneseo. Just before 4 p.m. one of the birds flew to a nearby bluebird nesting box and disappeared inside. “As the Ballards watched and counted, seven more followed, one by one,” Brown reported. Apparently they had discovered the secret to surviving subzero winter nights in upstate New York: “sharing body warmth in a communal roost.” (BA, 22 January 1981)In early February of 1987, Munro Will and another observer checked bluebird nest boxes on the west slope of Honeoye Valley and found at least 20 of the songsters. “It shows that bluebird trails are really beginning to pay off in western New York, even in the still of winter,” Frank Dobson observed. (Birds, 22 February 1987) Other winter maxima:        59 on 22 December 1990 Conesus-Hemlock-Honeoye Lakes (“Little Lakes”) CBC. (LG, January 1991)       48 on 26 December 1988 Conesus-Hemlock-Honeoye Lakes (“Little Lakes”) CBC. (GOS, February 1989)    100 on 26 December 1994 on the Conesus-Hemlock-Honeoye Lakes (“Little Lakes”) CBC. (GOS, February 1995)      20 on 9 February 1980 (J. and A. Foster) at Nations Road. (LG, March 1980)      17 on 17 February 1981 (Griffith et al) Nation’s Road, Avon. (LG, March 1981)

Townsend’s Solitaire

Myadestes townsendi
For years, Mike Davids had predicted this species would show up in our region. So it was only appropriate that he was the one to find it, 29 October 2000, at Hamlin Beach SP – despite having put his contact lenses in backwards! “I was trying my contact lenses out, and having a hell of a time with them,” Davids later related. He was birding the pines, but the lenses were irritating his eyes too much. He headed back towards parking lot 4 when he saw a bird flying along the ditch there. Then it flew up on top of a post next to the entrance to the lot and just sat there, despite a strong wind. Davids got a look at it through his binoculars, saw the eye ring and other markings, “and it dawned on me it was a solitaire.” Davids began yelling and screaming at the top of his voice to try to attract the attention of the birders clustered around the shelter overlooking the lake. Nobody heard him, but Davids did not want to leave the bird for fear it would fly away. Three birders “finally noticed me signaling, screaminig and gyrating” and headed his way. Davids was still yelling at them to be sure to look for the eye ring. Everyone set up their scopes, but the bird soon flew east along the road, landing in a tree near a pond. “You could see the wing pattern with the white on it, but not like a mockingbird,” Davids said. The birders trooped after the solitaire and started to get another look when it took off again, right into the teeth of the northwest wind, and was last seen flying down the lakeshore. “I couldn’t believe the bird would leave on a day like that,” Davids said. (See also KB 51:517.)
Background
This thrush is closely associated with high mountains, breeding in montane coniferous habitat up to and even beyond the treeline, in Alaska, western Canada and across much of the western U.S. and into Mexico. Northernmost birds migrate south; others simply descend to foothills and valleys to feed on junipers and other fruit bearing plants, vigorously defending their feeding territories. Its habit of occasionally hawking insects in midair, with a loud snap of the bill, is unique among thrushes. Winter occurrences in the Great Lakes region (especially Minnesota and Wisconsin) have increased since the 1970s, with some birds remaining a month or more and showing territorial behavior. It is not clear if this is an actual expansion of this species’ winter range, or simply better reporting of a small, historically unchanged number of casual individuals. (BNA 269: 1-3)
Status
Casual, very rare visitor.
Occurrence Only one record: 1. One 29 October 2000 (Davids et al) Hamlin Beach SP. (KB 51: 517-518) Accepted by NYSARC. (KB 52:301)

Veery

Catharus fuscescens
On a late May evening in 2006, when the sun had set but the western sky still reflected its afterglow, this birder walked his dog through a wooded section of Badgerow Park. In the gathering shadows, the air had turned cool and damp and heavy. For the first time that spring he noticed the mosquitoes, eager to get at his bare arms. He listened intently to the chorus of Robins, sing-songing monotonously in the dusk, punctuated by Song Sparrows, and the occasional, flute-like “eee-o-lay” of a nearby Wood Thrush. “Veer—veer—veer.”The downward spiraling song of a Veery froze him in his tracks. It was haunting, almost unearthly. He waited, expectantly, hoping to hear more. Nothing. He had not known Veeries to nest in the park. And this one was apparently just a migrant or “floater.” He did not hear this haunting song again until he visited the wet woodlands along Norway Road a few weeks later. Background
This tawny colored thrush nests across southern Canada and northern United States in early-successional, damp, deciduous forests, often near streamside thickets or swamps where it places its nest on or near the ground. It generally chooses wetter, younger woodlands than Wood or Hermit Thrush. It crosses the Gulf of Mexico in spring and fall, to and from wintering grounds in South America. Like Wood Thrush, it is vulnerable to Cowbird parasitism, especially in fragmented woodlots. It has probably suffered from loss of tropical forests on its wintering grounds and loss of habitat on its breeding grounds; indeed, BBS data consistently show declining numbers. (BNA 142: 1-3, 10, 11)
Local history
Eaton (1910) listed the “Wilson Thrush,” as it was also known, as a common summer resident in Monroe and Wayne counties, also occurring in Livingston. (Eaton I: county charts)R. E. Horsey, in his listing of birds seen at Rochester and Monroe County from 1913 to 1936, indicated average counts of one to three birds, with a maximum count of 20, on dates ranging from 18 April to 3 October. When Leo Tanghe examined 1,665 outings by Genesee Ornithological Society members from 1951-1954, he found this species reported 266 times, more than any other Catharus thrush. Ninety-nine of the reports were during the summer months. (KB 5: 69: 5A-5B)In 1953, Tanghe listed this as a common breeding species here, specifically listing Burroughs-Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary and Bergen Swamp as nesting locations. (GOS, May/August 1953)As recently as the mid 1960s, Beardslee and Mitchell considered this the most common summer resident of its genus in western New York – even more common than Wood Thrush. (B&M, pp. 344, 339)
Status
The Monroe County annotated list (1985) described this as a regular, fairly common summer resident.Livingston County, Fox (1998) also considered this a regular fairly common summer resident.
Occurrence
Spring: The Monroe County annotated list (1985) indicated a range of arrival dates from 28 March to 13 May, with a mid range, or “normal arrival time” of 3 to 7 May.
Summer/breeding status: “Ethereal spiraling song” (Levine, p. 431) is heard in damp, bottomland woods where this summer resident nests. More localized in distribution than Wood Thrush and, like that species, believed declining. However, the results of the BBA projects were quite similar, finding this species in blocks throughout the region with two exceptions: heavily developed urban and suburban blocks in Monroe County and the extensive farming areas of Livingston County.

“The Veery inhabits forests having thick undergrowth and is most common in low, wet forests . . . especially those that are flooded early in the season and have a dense ground cover of shrubs, moss-covered logs, ferns, and other herbs,” Richard E. Bonney Jr. notes in The Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State. “However, recent studies . . . have shown that ground-nesting birds are particularly susceptible to predation in fragmented forests, so Veery populations may be declining around urban and suburban areas.” (Andrle, p. 318) Fall: The Monroe County annotated list (1985) indicated a range of departure dates from 15 August to 16 October, with a mid range, or “normal departure time” of 8 to 23 September. Subsequently, one on 27 October 1998 (B. and R. Shone) Pittsford was later. (addendum to noteworthies, GOS, January 1999)
Winter: It is not unusual to find its cousin the Hermit Thrush staying in winter, but very unusual to find the Veery. One that lingered at Webster Park from 4 December 2005 to 7 January 2006 (Daniels, Guthrie, mob) was reported to be only the second New York State winter record of this species. (LG, February, March 2006) However, Edson reported that one had also been found at Highland Park on 18 December 1938, “and was apparently in perfect health; but possibly suffered some injury during, or just previous to, the normal migration period and thereby lost the urge to migrate. . . . It has the advantage over many other birds in being able to live on fruit when insects are not to be had. Here’s wishing him luck.” (WBR, 26 December 1938)

Gray-cheeked Thrush

Catharus minimus
This migrant with the “ethereal, spiral song” is similar to Swainson’s but lacks the buff face and spectacles. Eaton considered it to be “shyer than the Olive-backed (Swainson’s) thrush and retreats, at the slightest disturbance, to the coverts of the hedges and trees, assuming rather an erect posture upon alighting.” Then might be heard “a rather sharp, petulant ‘fee-a.’” (Eaton II: 522)Of our olive-backed thrushes, this is “much easier to find than the Bicknell’s Thrush,” but “slightly more difficult” to find than Swainson’s, Fox observes. (Fox, p. 75)
Background
“Breeding in taiga and adjacent tundra from Newfoundland to eastern Siberia, the Gray-cheeked thrush may be North America’s least-known Catharus thrush,” notes the profile of this species in The Birds of North America series. Relatively shy during migration, it is less retiring on its breeding grounds, primarily in willow-alder thickets, and low spruce forests with dense understory. It is especially active during twilight. Identification in field now made problematic by 1995 splitting of very similar Bicknell’s Thrush into separate species. For all the attention devoted to Bicknell’s Thrush, remarkably little is known about Gray-cheeked, including population trends. (BNA 591: 1, 14)
Local history
Eaton (1910) listed this as a common transient in Monroe County, fairly common in Wayne but with no indication of occurrence in Livingston. (Eaton I: county charts)R. E. Horsey, in his listing of birds seen at Rochester and Monroe County from 1913 to 1936, indicated average spring counts of one to two birds, with a maximum count of 10, on dates ranging from 6 May to 12 June. In fall, single birds were the norm, with a maximum of only two, on dates ranging from 16 to 29 September. “Few reports owing to difficulty of sight identification,” he added.When Leo Tanghe examined sightings from 1,665 outings by Genesee Ornithological Society members from 1951-1954, this species was reported only 38 times, by far the fewest of any of the thrushes, with 22 records in May and 16 in September/October, with average counts of 1 to 2. (KB 5: 69: 5A-5B)
Status
The Monroe County annotated list (1985) described this as a regular, uncommon spring and fall transient.Livingston County, Fox (1998) considered this a (presumably irregular) rare spring and fall transient.
Occurrence
Spring: The Monroe County annotated list (1985) indicated a range of arrival dates from 18 April to 27 May, with a mid range, or “normal arrival time” of 11 to 18 May. In most years had departed by 31 May, with a late departure date of 29 June.
Spring maxima: 11 banded on 28 May 1993 (Brooks) at Manitou. (GOS, July/August 1993)
Fall: The Monroe County annotated list (1985) indicated a range of arrival dates from 25 August to 14 October, with a mid range, or “normal arrival time” of 10 to 24 September. Subsequently, one on 20 August 1986 (Griffith) at Manitou was an even earlier “First record for the fall season.” (GOS, October 1986)In most years had departed by 15 October, with a late departure date of 14 November (1965). This was the eighth most common species banded in fall by Braddock Bay Bird Observatory for the period 1999-2006, when a total of 810 were taken from the nets. The tally undoubtedly would have been even higher because in several instances, wing overlap meant that they not be safely separated as either Gray-cheeked or Bicknell’s. A total of 106 were banded at Manitou and another 120 at Yanty Creek (Hamlin Beach) during September 1999. (KB 50:54) Another 195 were banded at Manitou in September 2004. (GOS, December 2004)
Fall maxima: 20+ on 11 September 2004 (mob) at Savannah. (GOS, December 2004) 12 on 16 September 1958 (Listman) at Manitou. (GNR) 26 banded on 19 September 1999 (BBBO) at Manitou. (GNR) 16 banded on 26 September 1990 (Brooks) at Braddock Bay. LG, October 1990) 44 banded on 27 September 2004 (BBBO) at Manitou. (GOS, December 2004) 12 on 29 September 1963 (Lloyd) lakeshore. (GNR)

Bicknell’s Thrush***

Catharus bicknelli
Banding birds is not easy. There is an exacting protocol to follow to ensure the safety of the birds. Numerous measurements to take. Detailed records to keep. But in one respect, at least, bird banders have it easy. After all, with the bird in hand, there should be no problem properly identifying it. Well, not always.For example, in September 1997, two years after this species was split off from Gray-cheeked Thrush, Elizabeth Brooks at the Kaiser-Manitou station reported banding three Bicknell’s Thrushes, which was duly reported in the Goshawk. (GOS, November 1997) The next issue, a corrigendum appeared: “New information from professional literature indicates new wing-chord criteria for distinguishing Bicknell’s and Gray-cheeked Thrushes. New information is still emerging and updates may be in order.” All previously reported bandings of Bicknell’s Thrushes from Kaiser-Manitou were being changed to Bicknell’s/Gray-cheeked, except for four individuals banded May 1987 to May 1995. (GOS, December 1997)As with those notorious Empidonax flycatchers, Willow and Alder, Bicknell’s and Gray-cheeked Thrushes can be equally difficult to tell apart – even in the hand.
Background
This is one of North America’s rarest, least understood breeding birds, in part because of its highly fragmented breeding range in “remote, inhospitable” mountain and maritime habitats extending from north of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Catskills of New York, and also because of its “penchant for dusk and dawn activity.” Its winter range is even more restricted, primarily in the Dominican Republic. There are probably no more than 50,000 of these birds. Historically it prefers to breed in regenerating forest, and will also use areas disturbed by timber harvesting and construction of ski trails and roads. Highest breeding densities are typically found in areas of “dense, stunted fir on exposed ridgelines or along edges of human-created openings.” Both males and females mate with multiple partners. The biggest threat to this species is the loss of the primary forests it prefers on its wintering grounds. (BNA 592: 1-2, 7, 13)
Local history
R. E. Horsey, in his listing of birds seen at Rochester and Monroe County from 1913 to 1936, reported a single Bicknell’s thrush on 17 September 1920. However, even before this was split as a separate species, birders recognized the difficulty of distinguishing what was then a subspecies. “To distinguish between the Gray-cheeked and Bicknell’s Thrushes is the hardest problem of all (thrush identifications),” Howard Miller noted in 1950. “The recent boomlet in sight records must at the present time be regarded with suspicion, and until a specimen is collected in this area it would seem best to place this bird on the hypothetical list pending clarification of its status.” (GOS, April/May 1950)“Near impossible to identify” except when hand-held birds are measured for wing length. (Levine, p. 435; LG, November 2002) Even then, there can be overlap between the species.
Status
Recent records from the Manitou banding station suggest it is a rare migrant here.
Occurrence This is hard to determine, even among birds that have been trapped in the nets at Manitou. “Eighteen Gray-cheeked/Bicknell’s Thrushes were banded this season, with three of these at first considered Bicknell’s until recently published literature indicated new wing-chord criteria, throwing these into the overlap zone,” Kevin Griffith noted in his fall 1997 Kingbird report for Region 2. “These criteria reduce our historical records from that site to only four certain Bicknell’s Thrushes, none in the fall since 1990.” (KB 48:47)Only eight birds could be positively identified as Bicknell’s during eight seasons of fall banding from 1999-2006; none were banded during the spring.The dilemma confronting banders is further illustrated by the figures from the fall of 2006. Of 150 thrushes that could have been one or the other species, 91 were identified as Gray-cheeked, but only one as Bicknell’s. Fifty-eight could not be safely separated. Indeed, of the 30 most common species banded in fall at Manitou by Braddock Bay Bird Observatory during 1999-2006, the generic lumping of “Bicknell’s/Gray-Cheeked Thrush” ranked 20th with 353 birds taken from the nets but falling into the overlap zone.

Swainson’s Thrush

(formerly Olive-backed Thrush)Catharus ustulatus
During the spring of 1999 and 2000, several of these birds, along with White-throated Sparrows, made a different kind of “stopover” at Manitou Beach. After being caught in Braddock Bay Bird Observatory banding nets, they spent the night in cages, containing moveable perches attached to monitors that could record the birds’ activity levels. It was part of Susan Smith’s thesis research for SUNY Brockport to determine if a bird’s relative “leanness” or “fatness” influenced how long migrants stay along the lakeshore. The theory is that an increased level of “Zugunruhe,” or restlessness at night, indicates that a bird is ready to resume its migration. Smith found that the activity levels for lean and fat birds were not all that different, especially for the Swainson’s Thrushes. This contrasted with similar studies conducted along the Gulf Coast, for example, where birds low on fat reserves showed the least activity – or inclination to continue migration.Her theory: Swainson’s Thrushes and White-throated Sparrows arriving at Manitou in the spring “are near the end of migration and are very close to their breeding grounds. If birds stay for longer periods of time at this site to restore energy reserves, they will arrive later at their breeding grounds and may be at a disadvantage for finding nesting sites and mates. Therefore, they may choose to continue migration despite low energy reserves.” The proximity to the lake and an ample supply of flying insects, she added, also may allow migrants to replenish quickly and move on. (The Marsh Wren, Winter 2002)
Background
The distinctive song and equally distinctive whit call signal the presence of this rather common migrant in our region. The flutelike, upwardly spiraling song also “lingers well into the fading summer twilight” on its forested breeding grounds, which extend from Alaska across most of Canada, and into northwest and northeast U.S. and the Rockies. It prefers montane fir forests through most of its range, but also occupies wooded areas near streams along the California coast. Though considered a near-ground forager, Swainson’s forages higher off the ground than its relatives and uses more aerial, flycatching techniques to obtain insect prey. Though still considered one of the most common birds of northern spruce-fir forests, populations are declining, particularly in Alaska and in the Northeast, for reasons that are not clear, though loss and fragmentation of forests both on its breeding grounds and its Central/South American wintering grounds have been implicated. (BNA 540: 1, 2, 21-23)
Local history
Eaton (1910) listed this as a common transient in Monroe and Wayne counties, but gave no indication of its occurrence in Livingston. (Eaton I: county charts)R. E. Horsey, in his listing of birds seen at Rochester and Monroe County from 1913 to 1936, indicated hefty spring average counts of one to 20 birds, with a maximum count of 150, on dates ranging from 18 April to 6 June. In fall, he reported, single birds were the norm, with a maximum count of four, on dates ranging from 2 September to 4 November.When Leo Tanghe examined returns from 1,665 outings by Genesee Ornithological Society members from 1951-1954, this species was reported 169 times, less than any other thrush than Gray-cheeked. It was seen primarily as a spring and fall migrant. There were no reports last half of June through first half of August. (KB 5: 69: 5A-5B)However, this migrant “often invades our gardens – even those in thickly settled urban areas – far outnumbering all other thrushes,” Edson wrote in 1954. (WBR, 20 September 1954)    Status
The Monroe County annotated list (1985) described this as a regular, fairly common spring and fall transient and an occasional, rare summer visitant.Livingston County, Fox (1998) considered this a (presumably regular) uncommon spring and fall transient.
Occurrence
Spring: The Monroe County annotated list (1985) indicated a range of arrival dates from 18 April to 20 May, with a mid range, or “normal arrival time” of 5 to 12 May. Subsequently, one on 12 April 1990 (Clarridge) at Pittsford set a new record early date. (GOS, June 1990)In most years had departed by 2 June, with a late departure date of 3 July. Of the 30 most common species banded in spring at Manitou by Braddock Bay Bird Observatory during 1999-2006, this ranked 18th with 477 birds taken from the nets.
Spring maxima:         29 banded on 24 May 2007 (BBBO) at Manitou. (LG, July/August 2007)     100 on 29 May 1974 (N. Henderson) along the west lakeshore. (GNR)       16 banded on 1 June 1996 (G. Jones) at Manitou. (GOS, September 1996)        6 on 12 June 1971 (Haller et al) at Canadice Lake (GOS, October 1971)         6 on 13 June 1971 (Haller) at Avon. (KB 21:219; Fox, p. 75)           Summer/breeding status: Its New York breeding range is confined primarily to the Adirondacks, Catskills and the highest mountains near the Pennsylvania border in southwest New York. But there are tantalizing suggestions that it may occasionally nest in our region. Eaton (1914) had heard reports of it breeding in the “colder gullies and swamps of western New York,” but suspected they actually may have been Veeries. (Eaton II: 525)Bull (1974) shared Eaton’s skepticism, discounting “alleged breeding reports” in Orleans County and other low-lying areas along the Lake Ontario shore. They were based on eggs that had been collected but were no longer available for examination and thus were “not acceptable.” (Bull, p. 433)However, a female with a brood patch was banded on 30 July 1992 (McKinney) at Manitou, for example. (LG, April 1993; KB 42:240)The Breeding Bird Atlas projects found evidence of possible or probable breeding in four blocks during the first project, and in three during the second. However, breeding was not confirmed during either project.         Fall: The Monroe County annotated list (1985) indicated a range of arrival dates from 28 July (1980) to 19 September, with a mid range, or “normal arrival time” of 1 to 15 September. Subsequently, one on 20 July 2002 (C. Cass) at Mendon Ponds Park was listed as an earlier “First of fall.” (GNR) In most years had departed by 16 October, with a late departure date of 8 November. Subsequently, one on 15 November 1997 (G. Chapin) at Hamlin Beach was even later. (GOS, January 1998) This was the seventh most common species banded in fall by Braddock Bay Bird Observatory for the period 1999-2006, when 1,059 were taken from the nets. One hundred and forty-three were banded at Manitou during September 2004. (KB55:52)
Fall maxima:         30 on 7 September 2005 at Hamlin Beach. (KB 56:70)     200 heard in predawn flight on 24 September 1961 (Miller) over Rochester. (KB11: 211)        60 on 29 September 1963 (Miller) at Durand Eastman Park. (GOS, November 1963)        25+ on 5 October 1980 (F. and R. Dobson) at Island Cottage Wood. (GOS, December 1980)        Misc.
Frank Dobson had just finished mowing his lawn in September 1983 when the silhouette of a thrush caught his attention amid the trees and bushes that make his yard and the adjoining back yard of his brother Bob such a haven for birds. He got his binoculars and waited patiently. For long minutes the thrush remained hidden in the leafy cover of the dogwoods. And then, “on a swaying branch, in a beam of sunlight, this olive-backed Swainson’s thrush gorged itself on plump, blue dogwood berries. House sparrows watched in seeming wonder as the secretive thrush plucked and swallowed whole, berry after berry.” (Birds, 25 September 1983)

Hermit Thrush

Catharus guttatus
You can almost picture it: 40 intrepid members of the Burroughs-Audubon Nature Club, scrambling along hilly trails in 1920 on one of those April mornings that feel more like winter, when a cold nor’wester was lashing the waves of the lake. Leading this birding trip was William L. G. Edson, considered by many the dean of Rochester birders. No doubt everyone was properly dressed, with the men perhaps even wearing ties, as was the custom in those days. “Some of the gentlemen found it rather difficult to descend the steep grades which the leader considered it necessary to make,” according to a newspaper account. “After entering the woods and following one of the trails, Indian fashion, a report came from the leader:“A hermit thrush.”“At once there was a scramble to the front, and with glasses and binoculars properly adjusted, everyone was anxious to see that wonderful migrant, whose song is the delight of many a summer vacationist in the Adirondacks and Catskills.” (“Hermit Thrush Rewards Brave Lovers of Birds,” D&C, 28 April 1920) Ah, yes, that “scramble to the front.” That at least hasn’t changed.Of course, Edson’s loyal followers wouldn’t have had to “scramble to the front” if they had been with Dave Tetlow on 9 October 2005 along and near a trail in the hawk banding area on Manitou Peninsula. The numbers of Hermit Thrushes he encountered that day were “ridiculous.” “You would pish and twelve birds would pop up point blank.” Tetlow tallied 160 just in a small area, all feeding. Had he been able to cover more of the area – in the woods along Rose’s Marsh, for example – who knows how many he might have found. “I’m sure there were far more than that.”
Background
This is our first thrush of spring and last of fall and is not all that unusual a find in winter. “It feeds mostly on the ground after the manner of the Robin,” Eaton (1914) noted, “and when slightly disturbed utters a low chuck and flies to the low branch of a tree. Upon alighting it almost always tilts its tail slowly, thereby giving an ‘ear mark’ of its identity when the bird is so far away that its colors can not be recognized.” (Eaton II: 527)Its ethereal song is one of the sweetest, most exalted sounds of the forest. However, this is a quiet, unobtrusive bird that “spends much of its time in the lower branches of the undergrowth or on the forest floor,” notes the profile of this species in The Birds of North America series. It is one of the most widely distributed of our forest-nesting migratory birds on the continent, inhabiting northern hardwood forests from Alaska to New England, and south through most of the coniferous forests of the western U.S., often preferring internal edges along ponds or meadows, or small clearings opened by logging or other causes. It is the only thrush of its genus that winters in North America, switching to a diet heavily supplemented with fruits. BBS data suggest increasing numbers in several states, including New York, perhaps due to opening of woodlands by cutting. (BNA 261: 1, 6, 17)
Local history
Eaton (1910) listed this as a common transient in Monroe, Livingston and Wayne counties, and a rare summer resident in Monroe. He mentioned Bergen Swamp as a breeding site. (Eaton I: county charts, II: 527)R. E. Horsey, in his listing of birds seen at Rochester and Monroe County from 1913 to 1936, indicated average spring counts of one to four birds, with a maximum count of 30, on dates ranging from 27 March to 25 May. In fall, counts averaged one to three birds, with a maximum count of 20, on dates ranging from 5 September to 10 November. Those who wished to hear it singing on its breeding grounds “must of necessity travel to the mountains or to a few of the cool gullies in the Finger Lakes region,” Horsey and Edson noted in 1931. (“Hermit Thrush Stops Over On Its Way to Mountains,” D&C, 20 April 1931)Tanghe, in his 1953 listing of breeding birds in the Rochester area, considered this a rare nester and listed only Wayland as a known breeding location. (GOS, May/August 1953) When he examined sightings from 1,665 outings by Genesee Ornithological Society members from 1951-1954, he found this species reported 255 times, virtually year round, most often as a spring migrant with average counts of 10 to 20 in April. But it was also reported 11 times in January and the first half of February and six times during June and the first half of July. (KB 5: 69: 5A-5B)
Status
The Monroe County annotated list (1985) described this as a regular, fairly common spring and fall transient; an occasional, rare summer visitant and a regular, rare winter visitant.Livingston County, Fox (1998) considered this an occasional rare winter visitant, a (presumably regular) uncommon spring transient, a regular uncommon summer resident and a (hypothetical) uncommon fall transient.
Occurrence
Spring: The Monroe County annotated list (1985) indicated a range of arrival dates from 18 February (1968) to 1 May, with a mid range, or “normal arrival time” of 1 to 13 April. In most years had departed by 20 May, with a late departure date of 17 June.Of the 30 most common species banded in spring at Manitou by Braddock Bay Bird Observatory during 1999-2006, this ranked 24th with 345 birds taken from the nets. Spring maxima: 75 on 20 April 1954 (Van Beurden, Corcoran) at Braddock Bay. (GOS, March/April 1954) 27 on 30 April 1998 (A. Watson) at Cobbs Hill. (GOS, June 1998)
Summer/breeding status: Bull observed in 1974 that Hermit Thrush was “virtually lacking” as a breeding species along the entire south shore of Lake Ontario. In fact, “on the whole low-lying lake plain” it had been reported as a breeder at only three localities, near Albion, at Bergen Swamp and at Chili. (Bull, p. 430) It prefers higher elevation, cooler-niche nesting locations, such as Letchworth SP and Rattlesnake Hill WMA. (Fox, p.75) Letchworth park naturalist Doug Bassett said this species has increased there in the last 20 years, and can usually be found in mature mixed forests with evergreens and hardwoods.Bassett’s observations are borne out by the BBA projects. The number of blocks with evidence of breeding more than doubled from one project to the next, with most of the increase occurring in higher elevations to the south.

Fall: The Monroe County annotated list (1985) indicated a range of arrival dates from 15 August to 12 October, with a mid range, or “normal arrival time” of 17 September to 3 October. However, one on 29 July 1980 (Miranian, Doris, et al) along the west lakeshore was an earlier “first of fall.” (GOS, September 1980)In most years had departed by 10 November, with a late departure date of 7 December.This was the fifth most common species banded in fall by Braddock Bay Bird Observatory for the period 1999-2006, when a total of 2,039 were taken from the nets. That compares with only 345 banded in spring during the same period.
Fall maxima: 40+ on 4 October 1980 (Davids, Griffith, R. Spahn) Hamlin. (GOS, December 1980) 54 banded on 5 October 2000 (Brooks) at Manitou. (GNR) 107 banded on 6 October 2003 (BBBO) at Manitou. (LG, December 2003) 44 banded on 7 October 1997 (Brooks) at Manitou. (GOS, December 1997) 160 on 9 October 2005 (D. Tetlow) at Manitou Beach. (LG, December 2005) 60+ on 10 October 2002 (R. Spahn) at Hamlin Beach SP. (GNR) 53 banded on 11 October 1996 (Brooks) at Manitou. (GOS, December 1996) 68 banded on 13 October 2004 (BBBO) at Manitou. (LG, December 2004) Winter: “The hermit thrush was reported in Durand-Eastman Park Feb. 8,” Edson noted in 1936. “This most glorious songster of our native birds has never before been reported here during the winter months…” (WBR, 17 February 1936) Edson apparently forgot this bird when another was found in the cedar swamp near Cedar Springs in Wheatland in January 1950. “I have long expected to find it a Winter resident in this vicinity,” Edson noted. “This week’s bird . . . fulfills this expectation entertained over a period of more than 30 years.” (WBR, 9 January 1950)A veritable “flood” of winter records followed: Genesee Ornithological Society members produced 9 records in January, and four in February within a 50-mile radius of Rochester during 1951-1954. (KB5: 69: 5A-5B) In January 1960, during a winter of record snowfall, Robert Dobson found one along the lakeshore “in the shelter of a pile of crabapple branches broken off during the ice storm,” John Brown reported. That same month Helen Dakin of Bushnell Basin reported another Hermit Thrush, “attracted both to a feeder and to the fruit of a crabapple tree.” (BA, 21, 28 January 1960) One on 2 February 1972 (Weld) was still at Durand-Eastman Park. (KB22: 87)Indeed, Region 2 Kingbird reports mention January or early February sightings of this species in at least 17 of 30 years from 1976 to 2005. Winter maxima: 7 on 18 December 2005, Rochester CBC, with as many as eight reported from Webster Park that month. (LG, February 2006) 13 on 2 January 2000 (D. Tetlow) at Webster Park. (LG, March 2000)

Wood Thrush

Hylocichla mustelina
Even as the birders edged closer, the Wood Thrush remained “frozen on its nest, less than five feet from the trail, bill pointed upward, a bit of dark streaking visible on its upper breast. It looked vaguely like an undersized, out-of-place bittern in this pose. We stayed just long enough for a good look, then discreetly backed away.” (LG, June/July 1995) This experience of a beginner’s field trip to Island Cottage Wood on 10 June 1995 was by no means unique. These songsters often remain stubbornly ensconced on their nests until the last possible moment. The “beautiful, liquid song . . . in the darkening forest is one of the joys of early summer throughout most of New York,” Richard E. Bonney and Judith Burrill noted in The Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State. (Andrle, p. 326) Unfortunately, there is growing concern that this species is in decline.
Background

“The Wood Thrush has become a symbol of declining Neotropical migrant birds, its population having decreased significantly over much of its range since the late 1970s,” notes the profile of this species for The Birds of North America series. It nests in a variety of wooded habitats across the eastern half of the United States into southern Canada, where it has recently expanded its range northward. It is more likely to be found in larger area forests, but has nested in semiwooded residential areas and parks. However, it can be heavily parasitized by cowbirds when using fragmented woodlots. Loss of forest on its wintering grounds in Central America is also blamed as a contributing factor in its decline. (BNA 246: 1, 2, 4)
Local history
Eaton (1910) listed this as a common summer resident in Monroe and Wayne counties, fairly common in Livingston. “It has adapted itself somewhat to civilized conditions and in various cities and parks is a common breeder in the shade trees,” he noted. “This is particularly true of the south side of the city of Rochester…” (Eaton I: county charts, II: 517)Horsey and Edson made a similar observation in their weekly bird column of 18 May 1931. R. E. Horsey, in his listing of birds seen at Rochester and Monroe County from 1913 to 1936, indicated average counts of two to 10 birds, with a maximum count of 25, on dates ranging from 5 May to 11 October.When Leo Tanghe examined the reports from 1,665 outings by Genesee Ornithological Society members from 1951-1954, this species was reported 297 times, trailing only Robin and Eastern Bluebird in the thrush family. (KB 5: 69: 5A-5B)In 1953, Tanghe listed this as a common breeding bird in the Rochester area, specifically mentioning Bergen Swamp and Genesee Valley Park as nesting locations. (GOS, May/August 1953)
Status
The Monroe County annotated list (1985) described this as a regular, common summer resident.Livingston County, Fox (1998) considered this a (presumably regular fairly common) spring and fall transient and a regular fairly common summer resident.
Occurrence
Spring: The Monroe County annotated list (1985) indicated a range of arrival dates from 21 April to 9 May, with a mid range, or “normal arrival time” of 1 to 6 May. Subsequently one on 16 April 2002 (T. and P. Smith) at Pittsford set a new record early date. (GNR) It appears here as a migrant in smaller numbers than the other thrush species, which breed farther north, Bull noted. (p. 429) Nonetheless, a large flight apparently encountered fog while migrating through the Rochester downtown area the night of 12 May 1975, John Brown reported. The next morning, “Mrs. Joy Hill of Sibley Place counted 10 in one relatively restricted patch of lawn and shrubbery.” Another was perched on a third-floor window ledge of the Gannett Newspaper building. “It had apparently been stunned or dazed by flying into a wall or window of some nearby building since it seemed oblivious of the attention it got from inside the window,” Brown noted. After having its picture taken at close range, it apparently recovered and, shortly after noon, “was last seen flying west down Broad Street.” (BA, 14 May 1975)
Spring maxima: 58 on 13 May 1961 (Rosche) Letchworth SP. (KB 11:101)
Summer/breeding status: “The Wood thrush has discovered that pieces of newspaper make ideal material for the foundation of its nest, and few nests are now seen without a section of the daily news incorporated somewhere in the beginning of the nest,” Horsey and Edson reported in their weekly bird column in 1931. “This is the only thrush to nest in the city parks where large crowds congregate. In one case in particular, a nest was built and the young successfully raised within ten feet of a walk where thousands of people passed daily. This bird may prefer woods, but it has proved itself well able to care for itself in the shrub borders in a well-used city park.” (“One Bird Gathers Snakeskin for Nest, Another Newspapers,” D&C, 18 May 1931)Still a familiar, widespread woodland thrush, with an “affinity . . . for nesting in wooded suburban areas.” (Andrle, p. 326) However, nesting numbers of this woodland species are “a far cry from recent historical data,” Griffith noted in 1993. (KB 43:315) Though both BBA projects found evidence of breeding in almost every block assigned to our region, blocks with confirmed breeding were greatly reduced during the second project. Though the BBA is not designed to measure a species’ relative abundance, this nonetheless suggests that atlasers may have been encountering fewer numbers of this species.

Fall: The Monroe County annotated list (1985) indicated a range of departure dates from 21 September to 26 November, with a mid range, or “normal departure time” of 28 September to 12 October. The record late straggler was at Webster (Sunderlin) from 7 to 26 November 1970. (GNR)

American Robin

Turdus migratorius      “Each year as the end of winter approaches newspaper office telephones throughout the northeast start jingling with tidings of the ‘first Robin.’ Appearance of this pert, red-breasted thrush, a traditional sign of spring, does something to the winter-jaded spirits of the observer, who is immediately moved to share this great good news with as many fellow-sufferers as possible and, perchance, to achieve some small measure of fame as the first to report the auspicious arrival,” John Brown noted in 1970. (BA, 29 January 1970) Alas, it would be difficult to achieve any such distinction that spring, he added, because “For some reason or other large numbers of Robins last autumn forgot to go any farther south.” As a result, all winter “flocks of them have been trouping around the countryside exhibiting a strong gastronomic predilection for the orange berries of the mountain ash tree.”A century ago, a Robin on your lawn in late February or early March might very well have been the “first” Robin of spring. Now? Maybe not. One of the more dramatic ornithological changes that have occurred in recent decades is the tendency of large numbers of robins to spend the winter here.
Background
Few other species range as extensively across the North American continent, thriving in both suburban and wilderness settings. Robins breed across virtually all of the United States and Canada, excepting the far northern reaches of Alaska and Canada, and areas along the Gulf Coast, the Rio Grande region and the desert southwest. But it wasn’t always so. The breeding range expanded progressively to the south and west with the establishment of farmlands and homesteads, followed by the increase in suburban areas. Several years of watered lawns and lawn-like pastures are required to develop sufficient densities of earthworms, which serve not only as food, but produce mud castings that are used to line nests. This species expanded into Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California by the 1950s; however, “it took 25 years for robins to become established in Pasadena, CA, after it became a residential city.” Not all migrate, with some spending winter months close to their breeding grounds. With few exceptions, populations are increasing or stable across the continent. (BNA 462: 1, 3, 20)
Local history
“One of our citizens who takes a laudable pride, as men do, in the robins who come to dwell with us in the spring, summer and autumn, expresses the belief that those birds, which hover so closely about the dwelling places of men, make their nests in the same identical trees year after year, in many instances.”This Rochester Union and Advertiser article on 29 April 1863 related how the previous spring a pair had “entered one of the buildings of the Genesee Oil Company, used as a still, and constructed a nest in a place made very warm by the fires of the furnaces.” The superintendent made sure the birds were not molested, and now, the following spring, a pair was back to nest “in the same peculiar place. From the familiarity they manifest, Mr. Hughes feels confident that they are the identical birds which spent last summer with him.”Eaton (1910) considered this an abundant summer resident here, and an occasional year-round resident in Livingston and Monroe. “There can be little doubt that the Robin is and will remain our most dominant native species,” he asserted. (Eaton I: county charts, II: 529)R. E. Horsey, in his listing of birds seen at Rochester and Monroe County from 1913 to 1936, indicated average counts of 25 to 50 birds, with a maximum count of 1,500, on dates ranging from 1 March to 8 October.  When Leo Tanghe examined the sightings from 1,665 outings by Genesee Ornithological Society members from 1951-1954, this species was reported 1,165 times, the most of any bird in the thrush family. Peak average counts of 100 to 200 were reported the first half of April. (KB 5: 69: 5A-5B)Tanghe, too, considered it an abundant nesting species here when he compiled a list of breeding birds in the Rochester area in 1953. (GOS, May/August 1953) That has not changed. This is one of our most familiar breeding birds, equally at home in city parks and Adirondack forest clearings, but especially on suburban lawns that offer ample earthworms. What has changed is its status as a winter visitor here. “It was a singular fact, that the robin remained in the country throughout this generally hard winter,” wrote Joseph Sibley of Rush, of the winter of 1806-07 in his reminiscences (quoted in Phelps and Gorham Purchase by Orasmus Turner; see excerpts in Goshawk, June 1992). Robins readily switch from eating earthworms in summer to eating the fruit of crabapples and mountain ash in winter. However, they have not always wintered here in the numbers they do now. Eaton, as noted above, listed this species as only an occasional year-round resident in the early 1900s. By 1929 that began to change. “The commonly accepted herald of spring weather, the robin, is really quite a fraud, say park officials, who assert that at least one of these birds always hibernates at Highland Park in the colder months . . .” noted a Democrat and Chronicle article. “ ‘Of course,’ explains W. L. G. Edson, curator of the Herbarium who is the official bird man of the Rochester parks, ‘the robin is primarily a migratory bird and those that stay are the exception rather than the rule. The prevalent idea that robins migrate in the Fall because they fear the cold is wrong. What they are afraid of is their food supply. If they were assured of enough food, they would stay.” (“First Guests Arrive in Flutter as Dinner Bell Sounds at Highland Park Bird Refuge,” D&C, 14 January 1929).However, it apparently was some time before that food supply became large enough to host the number of robins we now find here in winter. For example, Horsey (1937) estimated the number of wintering birds at only one to twelve “about every year.” A flock of 30 seen at the Burroughs-Audubon sanctuary at Railroad Mills on 12 February 1933 caused quite a stir in local birding circles. “Not in 20 years of bird observation have so many red-breasted transients come north this early,” Edson reported. Five to six was the norm for wintering birds. (“Many More Robins Here This Season Than in 20 Years,” D&C, 20 February 1933)Another 13 in the crabapples at Durand-Eastman Park in February 1939 were “certainly unusual and we wonder where they have been all winter, for other times we have seen but one, or two, in this location,” Edson noted. (WBR, 13 February 1939) Twenty to twenty-five at the Durand-Eastman Park crabapple orchard was “the largest flock to be seen so constantly all winter in this locality,” Edson added in 1947. (WBR, 10 March 1947)James H. Barlow’s retrospective look at the Rochester CBC from 1927-1947 showed no more than four had ever been tallied. (GOS, January-February 1948) During the mild winter of 1948-1949 “many wintering Robins” consisted of one to two in scattered locations. (GOS, January field notes)Tanghe’s perusal of those 1,665 outings from 1951-54 turned up 42 reports of robins during January and the first half of February, with average counts of 7-20. (KB 5: 69: 5A-5B)So flocks of 50-100 at Durand-Eastman Park, Ling Road, Powder Mill Park and various backyards during the winter of 1955-56 definitely caught everyone’s attention. “Probably the most phenomenal feature of this winter’s bird observations has been the number of Robins reported,” John Brown noted (BA, 16 February 1956; KB6:19) Tanghe, for example, carefully monitored the Ling Road population as follows: one on 14 January, 4 on 21 January, 67 on 28 January, 50 on 5 February, two on 12 February, none on 26 February. This influx was not restricted to Rochester. Flocks were also reported from Syracuse and Ithaca. (BA, 16 February 1956) Even in 1966, “The sudden appearance of a flock of 25 Robins among the snowdrifts at this time of year is enough to astonish anybody,” Brown noted. (BA, 24 February 1966) Among many wintering flocks during the 1970-71 season was a single flock of 250 on 13 December (Doherty) at Durand-Eastman Park. (KB21: 78)That may have been noteworthy then, but not anymore. Flocks of robins, often numbering in the hundreds, and often in association with Cedar Waxwings, will move from neighborhood to neighborhood, swooping in to strip a tree of berries in a day or two, then moving on to the next berry-laden tree.Why? A gradually warming climate may be part of the reason; certainly winters have not been as severe since the 1970s. Moreover, suburban sprawl has probably benefited these birds as well, because of the proliferation of fruit-bearing crabapples and hawthorns that adorn many of the lawns.
Status
The Monroe County annotated list (1985) described this as a regular, abundant summer resident and a regular, fairly common to abundant (in recent years) winter visitant.Livingston County, Fox (1998) considered this an irregular common to rare winter visitant, a regular common spring and fall transient and a regular common summer resident.
Occurrence
Spring: The Monroe County annotated list (1985) indicated a range of arrival dates from 11 February to 21 March, with a mid range, or “normal arrival time” of 2-13 March. Large spring migratory movements occur along the Lake Ontario shoreline, such as the 25,000+ estimated on 30 March 1987. (GOS, May 1987)
Other spring maxima:      42,000 on 31 March 2005 (D. Tetlow) Braddock Bay, when the “flood gates opened” for a delayed spring migration. (LG, May 2005)     10,000+ in two hours on 13 April 1982 (R. Dobson) Braddock Bay. (KB 32: 191, GNR)     10,000+ on 14 April 1983 (R. Dobson, Dodge, Symonds) Braddock Bay. (GNR)     15,000+ in four hours on 30 April 1982 Braddock Bay. (KB 32:191)
Summer/breeding status: During the Breeding Bird Atlas projects, this species was confirmed in all but a handful of blocks assigned to our region.

Fall: The Monroe County annotated list (1985) indicated a range of departure dates from 2 October to 17 November, with a mid range, or “normal departure time” of 27 October to 10 November. Large flocks begin appearing late summer into fall.
Fall maxima:     3,000 on 11 November 1975 (A. and J. Foster) at Mendon Ponds Park. (LG, December 1975)
Winter: This species was considered a “symbol of the season” during the winter of 1978-79, Robert Spahn noted, when “flocks of 100-200 were periodically reported from widely scattered points in the Region.” (KB29: 92) “They are everywhere this season; feeding on sidewalks, winging through snow flurries, and even singing from the top of snow drifts when a rare bit of sun penetrates the obscuring Lake-plain clouds,” Chip Perrigo added. (LG, February 1979) Bull (1974) listed statewide winter maxima ranging from 100 to 500 birds (Bull, p.426); however, wintering populations have clearly increased since. Large winter roosts numbering in the thousands now routinely gather in Mendon Ponds Park. As Frank Dobson described the roost in 1993: “A sizable planting of red pines, along the south side of Pond Road near Mendon Center Road has grown to heights of 12 to 15 feet. The boughs have formed a thick, lush cover over the years. Thousands of robins have been using the cover to snuggle up for the night.” (Birds, 21 February 1993)Not all wintering robins travel in large flocks. This birder has observed single robins taking up residence in the three large spruces at the corner of his front yard in Greece during several winters, and staking out a nearby crabapple, much as mockingbirds stake out winter food territories. When a large flock of robins appears, these single birds will vigorously try to drive the other robins away.Fellow robins are not the only threat, however. This birder was heartened by a robin that had staked out an apparent feeding territory in his front-yard during the winter of 2006-2007. The winter was incredibly mild up until mid January. On the 18th, with temperatures down in the 20s, he could hear the robin calling loudly from the berry-laden crabapple by the front driveway.About a dozen starlings were trying feed on the berries, but the robin would have no part of it. It kept flying at the starlings, calling loudly. Amazingly, it succeeded in driving the birds away. However, the victory was short-lived. The birder noticed that at least 60 Starlings were perched in the silver maples in his backyard. Within two days, the crabapple was stripped of its berries, and the robin was nowhere to be seen.  The robins that winter here are not necessarily year-round residents. As early as 1955 birders were of the opinion that robins that summer here go south, replaced in winter by birds from the north. (BA, 17 March 1955) Many summer residents move south for winter and are replaced by a darker, Canadian race. (Bull, p. 428) Evidence of this comes from banding returns: One banded at Manitou by Jeff Bouton on 5 June 1986 was found dead on 7 August 1988 13 miles north of Milton, Florida. (LG, July 1990)Evidence also comes from observations of migrating birds. From the east slope of Gannett Hill, overlooking Canandaigua Lake, “a vast southern movement of Robins” could be observed on 2 November 1969, Brown reported. They were going by “in bunches of from 20 to 100. A couple of thousand must have flown over in little more than an hour, and the flight was still going on as dusk deepened into darkness.” (BA, 6 November 1969)Winter numbers can still fluctuate dramatically depending on the availability of wild food. “The wild food crop is very poor this winter generally,” wrote Bob Spahn in his notes accompanying the November 1995 noteworthy sightings in the Goshawk. “As an example of the effect of this, there are very few Am. Robins around in dramatic contrast with winters of the recent past.”
Winter maxima:       5,000+ from 1-31 January 1993 at Mendon Ponds. (KB43: 126)     10,000 on 7 and 9 January 1995 (Clarridge) roosting at Mendon Ponds Park. (GOS, March 1995)       7,300 on 7 January 2006 (D. Tetlow) at Parma. (LG, March 2006)     10,000+ on 10 January 1999 (C. Cass, Clarridge) roosting at Mendon Ponds Park. (GOS, April 1999)       3,000+ all January 2001 (Clarridge et al) Mendon Ponds Park. (KB 51:611, GNR)

Misc.
With the onset of each breeding season come inevitable queries about robins (and cardinals) inexplicably flying at their reflections in windows. The reason is simple: the birds see their own reflection, which looks like another bird intruding on their territory. Paul Turner of Penfield was baffled in 1989 to find bird droppings all over the outside mirrors and window trim on his two cars. Rising early one morning, he discovered it was a robin attacking its own reflection. (Birds, 7 May 1989)

Varied Thrush

Ixoreus naevius
Tom Tetlow and Al Maley showed up at the Koon residence in Hemlock in February 1970, only to learn that a rarity seen at the feeders one day the previous month had not been seen of late. The two birders might have simply turned away; instead, seeing the “ample bird activity” at the feeders, they accepted an invitation to take a quick tour of the yard. Good thing. “Within minutes, the bird flew in and perched in an apple tree, where it stayed for only a few seconds before flying off to perch again in a large stand of evergreens 50 yards from the house,” Tetlow reported. Sensing the bird wanted to visit the feeders, Tetlow and Maley retreated inside the house and a few minutes later were treated to the sight of male Varied Thrush, 30 feet outside the window, eating what appeared to be a mix of seed from the ground alongside five Blue Jays. “Although this was a life bird for me, I found identifying the adult male Varied Thrush, in its striking plumage, an easy and pleasant task,” Tetlow observed. (GOS, March 1970)
Background
This is a bird of damp, dark forests of the Pacific Northwest, nesting amid spruce and alder where “crowding ferns contend for a footing, and where a dank mist drenches the whole with a fructifying moisture,” notes the profile of this species for The Birds of North America series. It breeds from Alaska to California, wintering primarily along Pacific coast in areas that receive ample rainfall. However, it wanders widely during migration, especially during irruptions every 2-5 years, and has been found across the United States and Canada. However, “these extralimital observations have been concentrated in 2 areas: Great Lakes/upper Midwest and coast of e. North America, from Maine to New York.” Recent studies suggest that it prefers mature and old-growth forests, and may be sensitive to forest fragmentation. Unfortunately, its shyness and low population densities have made it a difficult species to study. Long-term BBS data shows little change, but more recently this species appears to have declined significantly. Logging and fragmentation of old-growth forest may contribute to this. (BNA 541: 1, 3, 5, 13)
Status The Monroe County annotated list (1985) described this as a sporadic, very rare winter visitant.
Occurrence
Most of the nearly one dozen records here have been in fall or winter, with Durand-Eastman Park hosting several of them. 1. One last seen 21 February 1970 (Koons, mob) visiting a feeder at Hemlock Lake. (KB 20:78) 2. A female 21 November 1977 found in Durand-Eastman Park by Leon Nawojchik, Cumming Nature Center naturalist, and Keith Murphy of the Mendon Ponds Nature Center. It remained until 12 March 1978 and was seen by more than 50 birders. (BA, 30 November 1977; KB 28:41, 28:172) 3. A male 21 December 1980 (Mather, mob) in Irondequoit near Durand-Eastman Park (KB 31:91) for the Rochester CBC lingered through February 1981 in an area “with wooded gullies, homes well-shrubbed with protective evergreens and a choice of carefully maintained bird feeders” on both sides of Wisner Road where it dead ends at Durand Eastman Park. (BA, 8 Jan 1981) 4. A female 13 December 1986 (Penner, Koszelak) at Durand-Eastman Park. (KB 37:84) 5. A female 4 November 1989 (Sunderlin) in Webster. (KB 40:35) 6. One 15 December 1990 Letchworth SP (KB 41:103-104), found during the Letchworth-Silver Lake CBC by Brian Mongi and Sharon Skelly on a drizzly, overcast day. The bird was seen for about 20 seconds in a scrubby area of red osier and berries north of the Highbanks Recreation area. (Fox, p. 76) 7. One 31 December 1991-13 January 1992 (C. Cass, mob) Durand-Eastman Park. (KB 42:96) 8. One 22 April 1997 (Weld) on Roots Tavern Road near Nations Road, Avon. (KB 47:200; Fox, p. 76) 9. A female 4 April 1999 (D. Tetlow) at Manitou. (KB 49:234) 10. One male all December 2005 through 8 March 2006 (Davids, D. Tetlow, mob) at Webster Park. (KB 56: 151, 242)) 11. A male from 18 December 2006 to 8 March 2007 (R. Flood et al) at a feeder in Penfield. (LG, February-May 2007) (Note: Kurt Fox received information about one on 29 October 1996 in Rush. See Fox, p. 76. However, there is no record in the Goshawk, Little Gull or Kingbird.)

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