I observed a Wood Thrush nest for several days in Jenkins Arboretum, Devon, Pennsylvania, but on this morning in June there was only one of the two babies left in the nest. I had the privilege of observing this one fledge. Shortly after its first flight the mother returned with a large moth. The Wood Thrush, Hylocichla mustelina, is one of the most common woodland species across the eastern United States. Its varied fluting song is more often heard than the bird is seen. It is now threatened because of continuing development of adjacent woodlands.
This image is one of the top 250 in the 2008 North American Nature Photographers Association Showcase. It won first prize in the Birds category in the 2009 Delaware Valley Ornithological Club photography competition.
070616__W3P7174 BUY NOW