Wood thrush

Birds knocking at my window again this morning. Knocking so hard, well he knocked himself out!

I was worried and went to check on him. For many birds if they don't break their neck running into windows they may die of shock and exposure in the shadows whence they fall. When I was a naturalist in Costa Rica there were hundreds of species swooping through the cloud forests every morning like this. Down long flyway tunnels between tree limbs and hanging banana flowers many would race right into the glass seeing it as just one more opening in their path. I can't tell you how many birds like that I nursed back to health to fly off. Some of them were bright beautiful gems, kept rolled up warm in my lap, while I ate breakfast until they came to and I set them free to fly away. I remember a beautiful toucanet, emerald green with a yellow and red beak that I nicknamed Charlie. Charlie knocked himself so hard I'm afraid he may have gotten brain damage. He quite a peculiar bird. I nursed him for two days before setting him free. I still think about him. I hope he made it.

This one did. A young wood thrush, Hylocichla mustelin, probably just turned around. One of many migrating the long ancient flyways south to the misty warm cloud forests in places like Costa Rica...