The weather has been too awful to keep a window open at night. The sound of the crickets this morning had me opening the window. And poof the cricket symphony poured in! Sweet, sweet sound. Then I noticed the twittering song of hummingbirds fighting over the feeder. The air was cooler than the house. The breeze pouring in through the open window was refreshing. Not a huge wind, just a tiny movement among the leaves.

And I noticed the thrasher was here again.

Once he found the berries on the spice bush he has been a regular customer. This is also called lipstick bush. Remember the tiny lipstick samples that Avon used to produce and give away? These berries are a bright red and just about that size.

They must be difficult to get into as he spends a long time pecking each one as he picks it and takes it to the mulch. He is so camouflaged that Bob had some difficulty seeing the bird.

“It can be tricky to glimpse a Brown Thrasher in a tangled mass of shrubbery, and once you do you may wonder how such a boldly patterned, gangly bird could stay so hidden. Brown Thrashers wear a somewhat severe expression thanks to their heavy, slightly downcurved bill and staring yellow eyes.

“Brown Thrashers may come to backyards if food is offered. Sometimes they visit feeders or the ground below to pick up fallen seed. There is a better chance they will visit if dense cover is close by. You can also attract them by planting shrubs that produce berries.” Cornell Lab https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown_Thrasher/overview

We have the shrub with berries and the dense cover is provided by neighbor. I first noticed the thrasher in the spice bush when I saw his long body along the branch.

I praise God from whom all blessings flow. I encourage all creatures here below to praise God, too!