I had a new visitor to my garden today: A Varied Thrush.  After drinking and bathing in the bird bath, he spent awhile scratching around in the wet leaves and duff for whatever Varied Thrushes scratch around for.

Be sure to click on this image and view the beautiful details of this bird!  Maybe I need a life, but when I saw him I gasped, and then I grabbed my binoculars and tried to etch his image into my memory. Looking at my "Local Birds of the Monterey Bay Area" guide, I first thought he was a Western Meadowlark, and then a Northern Oriole--that pretty much indicates my powers of observation and what a skilled bird watcher I am....doh!

(Photo and info here. Song, too!)