Posted by Gary Potter (205.188.193.37) on March 06, 2000 at 17:26:35:
In Reply to: Molt limits, counting primaries and more posted by Don Roberson on March 05, 2000 at 23:39:25:
After reading Don Roberson and Steve Mlodinow's comments, I took another look at both birds. Knowing the history of Curve-billed in Calif is an obvious advantage for Don. I think that he may be right that the light area on the mandible is real, but it still looks like there is a similar area on the base of the maxilla, which shouldn't be there, thus my comment that I thought it was an artifact of light. I also noticed the light areas on the edges of the greater coverts and assumed this made it a juvenile. Thus my conclusion that it was Curve-billed. Also there seems to be a touch of yellow-orange in the eye, more like Curve-billed. I'm not chinging my answer on the thrasher, but I was probably wrong anyway. (I think one learns more from mistakes than from right answers anyway!) One other comment on the bluebird (on which I was also probably wrong). Several years ago I was photographing a Western Bluebird nest at Sequoia Lake, and got pictures of a male, a female, and a juvenile plumaged (i.e. spotted breast)bird all feeding young at the nest. I am sure that this bird was a HY helping during the "same spring" it was hatched, as the followeing year the spots should have been gone!