Took a look out our backyard water fountain yesterday here in the Boise
Highlands area and saw a gray bird in the shadows. From the distance I
was at I at first thought, ok just another female House Finch. Then I
thought, well actually it looks bigger and sleeker than a House Finch.
So I wandered over and grabbed my binoculars. Upon closer examination,
there was a Townsend’s Solitaire sitting in the flowing water. We have
these birds in the neighborhood during the winter — arriving in
mid-November – I have never seen one this time of year. Not sure if it
was a migrant heading south or maybe a local bird displaced from higher
elevations due to fires. Who knows. It is always fun to catch a specie
at a new time or place.
Scott Tuthill