Rutgers Camden Swainson's Thrush

Pictures taken by Panasonic GS15 or GS19

Swainson's Thrush

Frame clipped from video Panasonic GS-19 at BSB west side (October 19, 2006) Mouse click on image to see presentation
MS Photo Story presentation from multiple sightings

On April 12, 2005, I saw this bird while I was watching a White-throated Sparrow. They were foraging side-by-side under the small trees behind BSB. I suspect they were eating insects. The bird is a Swainson's Thrush. I found a WEB photo from the USGS WEB site ( http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i7580id.html ) that is virtually the same as my first frame here.
Mouse click on picture to see video

Frames clipped from video Panasonic GS-15 at BSB (2005)
In these frames there is a cluster of small white flowers between the bird and the camera.

On April 21, 2005, I was working late and went over to the Campus College Center to use the MAC machine. I walked back to my office by a route that takes me through the Fine Arts breeze way. This is a good area for spotting birds. (I saw the Ovenbird in this area late last year.) It was about 7PM and there was a White-throated Sparrow in the low bushes. Then I noticed something else darting about on the ground. It didn't have any color to it. I got out my video camera and started shooting. Through the zoom lens I could see it was the Swainson's Thrush.

Frames clipped from video Panasonic GS-15 at Fine Arts (2005)
I wanted to show the wing of the bird in this last frame but the bird is in motion.

I think this is the same bird in both sets. The small curl marking on its front are the same in both sets.

On May 3, 2005, I saw one of these on the west side of BSB. It was moving around with an Ovenbird.

Around lunch time Friday April 21, 2006 I saw a pair of these and got some excellent video. This is the first sighting since last season. I first saw one behind BSB under one of the trees - same place I saw it last year when I took the picture at the top of this page. I first noticed the olive-brown back and immediately thought Swainson's Thrush. This time I couldn't get any good pictures and it disappeared into the bushes. But a few minutes later I noticed it on the west side of the building and as it moved to the back of the building I got some video. It then moved to the west side again and I noticed two of them and got some more video. About this time I stopped following them as not to disturb them anymore then I already had. I never saw the pair last year - it always seemed to be the same one. I did notice something "odd" about this bird. As I was taping it, it "posed" for me. It held this pose for a while and as I was moving to the other side of the bird to get a different angle, it held this position until my Mockingbird flew down and scared it. The Mockingbird was begging for raisons as usual but spoiled a great opportunity. My guess is the bird freezes to blend in with the background. I normally notice birds by their motion.

Frames clipped from video Panasonic GS-19 at BSB north side and west side (2006) Mouse click on image to see presentations

*** Go To Top

On October 19, 2006 about 8AM I saw one of these birds in the trees on the west side of BSB. I first saw it go from the ground into the tree but I couldn't tell what it was. I started taping and realized it was a Swainson's Thrush. Once it settled in the tree it froze and allowed me to get shots from many angles - all while it held the same posture. The seven pictures below are from that encounter. The first two are digital pictures while the last five are frame clipped from the video. The color representation is better in the digital pictures than in the frames clipped from the video tape.

Pictures taken with Panasonic GS-19 at BSB (10/19/2006) Mouse click on image to see presentations.

Frames clipped from video Panasonic GS-19 at BSB (10/19/2006) Mouse click on image to see presentations.

On October 30, 2006 I took a late lunch and spotted a pair of these birds in the Quad area about 3PM. Then on walking back to my office I saw an other one at the back of BSB.

Late in the afternoon on April 20, 2007 I saw one of these birds on the east side of BSB.

*** Go To Top

Hit Counter

back to Main Bird Page