This series of photos may be just a little too timely for anyone who partied too hardy last night on New Year’s Eve… 🙂
- I ran out of time to include detailed image techs but these photos were taken at or near 1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender
Three months ago (September 21, 2018) while I had my lens trained on this Sage Thrasher I had no idea ‘he’ was going to put on an extended show for me. I was just enjoying the thrasher in the pretty setting of wild rose and colorful rose hips when suddenly and unexpectedly…
he began to retch.
A few seconds later he brought up a fruit pit (a sumac I believe) to the back of his throat.
He worked it to the tip of his bill and soon dropped it. Sadly I missed capturing the falling pit because I let off of the shutter button at just the wrong time. Those things drop fast.
But surprisingly he gave me another chance at it just a few seconds later and this time I was determined to catch the pit (or whatever it turned out to be) as it fell. Once again he retched,…
the pit appeared in the back of his throat…
and then he maneuvered it to the end of his bill and played with it for a while (long enough for me to take 19 shots between this one and the previous one).
Eventually he used his tongue to push the pit away from the end of his bill…
so it fell through the leaves to the ground. Here the pit can be seen intersecting the rose hip directly in front of his lower breast as it fell.
This is the first time I remember seeing a songbird regurgitate multiple pits (or pellets or anything else) in such a short time so the second one surprised me. But I suppose it makes sense because they often swallow several large fruits or berries within a very short time.
I couldn’t help but snicker a little at the timing of this post given that last night was New Year’s Eve, a night that’s infamous for producing hangovers and up-chuckers on New Year’s Day.
I’ll admit that there’s a variety of reasons I wish I was “young and dumb” again but partying too much sure isn’t one of them. I’d prefer to take the young and leave the dumb behind but all too often they seem to be linked together, especially on New Year’s Eve.
Cheers. And Happy New Year!
Ron
PS – It’s my fervent hope that anyone and everyone who set off fireworks in neighborhoods at midnight last night has the mother of all hangovers today. But for the first time in many years I dodged that miserable bullet in my neighborhood because at midnight it was about 15 degrees with a howling wind so it was too cold for the inconsiderate merrymakers to come out and play.
All I heard was the frigid wind which lulled me to sleep..
What an awesome behavioral series Ron! Thank for sharing!
Charlotte
Happy New Year! I figured that the bird was barfing on 2018 — and I’m in total agreement with that. 😉
Glad you had the wind lulling you to sleep. We had a few idiots, but wasn’t as bad as in past years. Mama and puppy seem none the worse for wear.
Here’s hoping 2019 is filled with love, joy, and lots and lots of birds (and assorted other good critters)! 😀
Thanks, Marty. When we look back on 2019 I hope we don’t think it was even worse than this past year…
Happy New Year, Ron! I hope you have good health and great opportunities to capture all the birds you want!
Thank you, Pat.
Ron, thanks for the “retching” photos. I’ll probably never see a bird do this, so it is good that I can see it happen through your lens. Your comments always an extra plus.
We heard some fireworks around midnight. We stayed up late so they didn’t bother us. It will hit 4 degrees tonight and then start to warm up next week to high 30’s. Maybe it will warm up enough for both you and birds to get out.
A very Happy New Year to you. Thanks for all of your great blogs throughout last year.
Alice, since I’m usually shooting from my pickup I really don’t mind cold too much. But wind (and clouds) – that’s another story. Thanks you.
I don’t know how you do it, Ron. Sometimes I think your website should be titled “Birds Do The Darnedest Things (and I’m usually there to see it).” I can almost hear the Sage Thrasher going “kak-kak-kak” as the pit comes out.
Ha, the Art Linkletter of bird photography and blogging, huh? Thanks, Lyle.
Even with wind, the idjits were blowing things up. And really really deep booming ones that sounded like artillery fire. One of my dogs was so stressed she stayed on the couch shaking even after I’d gone to bed. She finally joined the rest of us once things quieted. Ugh.
Nice this picture is the pits. Lololol!
Arwan, I don’t have a dog now but every one I owned in the past was moderately to extremely terrified of fireworks.
The pits indeed!
Lovely photos. The warm greens are nice this frosty day. Thanks for sharing your passion and wisdom with us. I know it has made me a better photographer and every now and then you have a tidbit about birds I did not know. I always like learning!
Yes it is frigid out there, I was going to go on the Great Salt Lake Marina walk but I think it will be to cold to stand about listening to the history of Black Rock. I think I will still go for a 5 miler in a few minutes. I keep a good pace and stay warm even in in few degrees above 0, as long as the east wind is not blowing, nothing keeps me warm in that!. It is beautiful out there today.
Happy 2019, may your travels be pleasurable and birdy.
Thanks, April. Given how much you know about birds it’s rewarding to know I occasionally provide something new to you.
Better out than in. He/she looks much more comfortable (and beautiful) than any human puker of my acquaintance.
And hooray for leaving those days behind. A long way behind.
I am glad that the fireworks in your area were curtailed.
Thanks, EC. Yes, songbirds handle the upchucking more comfortably that most humans and even raptors.
A very Happy New Year to you Ron! Thanks for all of your wonderful pics through the years. Always informative and entertaining, just like my 10th grade biology class with you.
Thank you, Brett. Those were the days at South High, huh!
Happy New Year to you Ron and all F. P. Followers. Love the post for today. Here in So. Cal, fireworks persisted til 1 a.m. Light rain and 52 degrees at mignight. 🎉
Thank you, Leslie.
Happy New Year, Ron! A couple of days ago on my deck near my feeders I found a cherry pit with a tiny bit of fruit attached. I was perplexed as to how it got there. Your story is timely…….I think you just solved my mystery!
Yup, I think it’s solved, Lynnette. Back when my neighbor used to have a cherry tree the robins would leave so many pits on my deck that you could hardly walk without stepping on at least one every step. Messy, messy…
Appropriate series for the those who partied to hardy………;) A giggle over your wishes for those who did light them off. -3 when we went to bed – well before midnight – fortunately, the wind had died. Except for the “imports” New Years isn’t a big fireworks thing here tho they finally made it legal in Great Falls. Got my “fix” on the net yesterday morning watching to show over Sydney Harbor. I’ve always enjoyed them but NOT the idiots who have to disrupt others sleep to do it and then leave a mess behind…… 🙁 Happy New Year to all! 🙂
Judy, fireworks were always a big thing for my MT friends when I was growing up and even later. Not so much for me though.
P.S. Know the cold has reached “elevation” as the Grey Crowned Rosy Finches have arrived. At least we have some birds now!
There’s some in our mountains now too, Judy.
I have never seen a songbird regurgitating anything either. Great capture. 3 degrees F here in Colorado now. 6 degrees at midnight last night and surprisingly little fireworks activity. One glass of red wine to celebrate the new year.
Interesting, Dave – especially considering how much time you spend with birds. I’ve seen and photographed it quite often with a variety of songbird species.
In anticipation of fireworks I had a couple of stiff drinks last night to help me sleep. In the end I didn’t need them…
A very Happy New Year to you! Neat posting today. Quite an á propos post for party revelers but somehow I tend to think your followers do not fall into that category. 😏 I tend to follow the early to bed, early to rise category…need that clear brain for the morning crossword puzzle. You certainly are lucky in catching the regurgitating birds! Last evening I was spending some time on the computer and checked a few of your old posts…in fact the the regurgitating robin was one to be exact. I made a mental note to ask you if anything every grew from the seed you planted? We had 4-6 inches of fresh snow without a wind yesterday so everything is finally white…looks beautiful out there and not all that cold. May be a good day to look for avian friends!
Nope, nothing ever grew from that seed, Kathy. But that may have been my fault because I might have given up on it and quit watering it too early. Perhaps it was a slow-germinating one.
Agreed, very few if any of my regular commenters fall into “that category” but I have many readers (lurkers) who never comment so I’m sure at least some of that group do.
Beautiful series to start off 2019 Ron. Happy New Year to you and your family and to all your FP followers. 80 years old and up at 5 sharp. Many New Years mornings especially during my 5 years in the Navy in my youth that getting up on Jan 1 was a huge effort. 🙂 PS: Very good snow here yesterday.
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
Thanks, Everett. Bet you could tell some entertaining stories from your navy years…
Happy New Year Ron….hope it’s as birdy as ever for you..and us. I’m also glad those young and dumb days are behind me…well maybe not so much the young..although hopefully maybe “wiser” comes with the years….
Thanks, Steve. Same to you.
I love the series of shots this morning– sure reminded ME of my young and dumb days, speaking of which, I guess we have younger and dumber down in southern Utah
than in the Salt Lake Valley– it was right close to zero– maybe 5 or less at midnight, and I’ll be danged if the fools weren’t out setting off stuff ! Too bad they don’t get their
kicks out of eating too much fruit–retching’s quieter than fireworks !
Kris, If you didn’t have wind to go along with the cold maybe that was the difference. I tried shooting at the pond late yesterday afternoon but with my pickup windows down that frigid wind swirled around inside the cab of the pickup. I just tucked my tail and headed for home!