Townsend's solitaire - only the second time I have photographed one.

Photographed along the Okanagan Rail Trail near Winfield, BC.

Have your camera at the ready.  Turned on, longest focal length acquired, focus and release settings appropriate.  Sometimes, you only have a second or two before your quarry is gone.

I photographed a Townsend solitaire once before in Edmonton, Alberta.  It was in a wooded area during the winter.  The berries that are left behind by others during the fall are the source of energy.  The above photo is the better of the two shots; partly because I was closer and the lighting was better.  Also, it's always nice to get a side view of a bird instead of a front or rear view.

These birds are often found at higher elevations during the breeding season.  At lower elevations, such as where I found this one, they overwinter and eat berries, having a particular fondness for juniper berries.  They tend to switch to insects and other invertebrates during the summer months when they are raising chicks.  

If a Townsend solitaire finds a berry-rich tree during the lean months of winter and spring, it will aggressively defend the area.  They will fend off waxwings and bluebirds, but are challenged by robins.  The robins do not have a negative impact on solitaire populations, in spite of their competition with food.  Robins are more likely to migrate out of an area and leave food for the solitaires.  They migrate from high altitude zones to lower ones, some heading a short distance south.  

I was lucky to photograph this bird.  I had only a moment before it was gone.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com