I have dreamt of this day for 35 years.
The Varied Thrush—a bird of the misty, forested edges of Alaska down through coastal Northern California (and not very far inland!)—has appeared just 2 hours and 15 minutes from my home here in central Pennsylvania. When I first saw this bird in my field guides as a child, I fell instantly in love with its rich, striking colors. To imagine seeing one here never felt realistic… until now.
It was –3°F when we arrived in Butler. Aside from what we believe was one other birder just leaving, my friend Connor and I had the place entirely to ourselves. Sparkling snow, beautiful light, deep quiet—one of those rare mornings where everything feels perfectly aligned.
This wasn’t just a bird sighting. It was a lifelong dream realized.
And my photos aren’t “I got this bird photos” they are “this bird allowed me to share several moments with it”. And that folks, is what birding is to me.
(P.S. I’m going to post an image of its range map in the comments. Check out how FAR this bird came to have landed in Pennsylvania. Proof that birds are tough and completely unpredictable.)
#birding #variedthrush #rarity #outdoors #nature