Thrushes appear delicious

though a White-throated Sparrow will work in a pinch for this sub-adult Ring-billed...

 

It appeared to be a rough morning to be flying over the lake one day last week.  A lot of thrushes were tiring and not quite reaching shore.  We watched them land on the water at times to rest.

They would sometimes be able to launch and fly another 50 yards or so before dropping back down.  Unfortunately for them we weren't the only ones watching.  The Swainson's above was gulped down by a Herring Gull.  This one attracted a Ring-billed...

Hard to know if it got to shore with its prey or if a Herring took it away.  We didn't see any land on the water and live.

The next day there were gull pellets at the end of the pier. I pulled a few apart with a stick but couldn't find any skulls.

Slightly less macabre is a juvie Semi Plover digiscoped the same morning.

Amar Ayyash had a similar post a few weeks ago during warbler migration from the other side of the lake...