The Psychedelic Robin!

So, did anyone figure out what I might be referring to as a psychedelic robin? Well here it is:

It's a Varied Thrush. Around here they are normally high in the moist coniferous forests of the Cascade Mountains about 15 miles west of us. I took the picture on September 23 in the yard of our cabin. That's the only day we saw it. They usually show up when there is some kind of weather change, especially heavy winter snow storms. Then they can seem to show up everywhere in the valleys, indicating how many there may be high in the mountain forests. Normally, they are not easy to find being in areas of few year-round human habitations. When they drop down to lawns and other civilized areas they do resemble, including behavior, the related American Robin. Both are large thrushes, showing the heavy spotting of the breast of most common thrushes only when they are immature. Here's another view:

By the way, the weather has been a little strange. We had some short dips but the warm, summery weather is hanging on with mostly sunny skies and temps in the upper 70's. It may break the 80's several of the upcoming 4 days or so. Migration is in full swing and some of the leaves are starting to show their fall colors. On the average, this week is when the first snowfall of the season occurs at Crater Lake National Park, twenty miles up the road from here. No snow showing in the 10-day forecast.

Remember the Mountain Quail of earlier this week? I dug out one of my photos of the much more common California Quail. It's a winter shot in the snow of both a male and female. Take a look at the plume on the top of the head for an obvious difference from the Mountain Quail. The male California Quail also has a black bib on its throat vs. the chestnut bib of the male and female Mountain Quail.