Rain was pouring down last weekend as I looked out the window and saw a flurry of leaves scattering into the air in all directions. I thought for a moment it might be hailing because I couldn’t figure out what would make leaves jump up in a downpour. They became still. I searched for squirrels or chipmunks but didn’t see any. Moments later, the leaves were defying gravity again. Some were being flung up to two feet away. Then a head popped out:
The long, curved bill gave it away…a Brown Thrasher.
I never knew why the birds had “thrasher” in their name, but after seeing this one create a tornado of leaves and debris wherever it went, I’m assuming the name refers to the way they forage for insects and berries.
Brown Thrashers are large birds (9 to 11 inches) that come from the same family as Gray Catbirds and Mockingbirds. They like to mimic other birds, usually repeating a song twice. They are often hard to spot because they like to hide in dense thickets.
I usually see one in my yard for a few days each spring. They always seem to arrive on rainy days when it’s impossible to get any good photographs.
