LBBs

have you heard of LBBs? little brown birds. there are so many little brown birds, that my mother-in-law, a bird lover, simply referred to them collectively as LBBs.  this little guy, a wood thrush, winters in south america and summers in canada. he was migrating south for the winter when he hit my kitchen window yesterday. he did not die, but was very stunned for several minutes. i snapped a quick photo and then carefully propped him up on the front stoop. he regained his composure after five minutes, and then was off.  godspeed little fella. it’s migration season. for the next month, over 300 species of birds will migrate through minnesota on their way south. some to florida and texas, but most to mexico or even farther. the mississippi fly-way is one of the great migratory pathways. typically birds use this route because no mountains or ridges of hills block the path over its entire extent. good sources of water, food, and cover exist over its entire length. about 40% of all north american migrating waterfowl and shorebirds use this route.

wood thrush (Catharus ustulatus)