The wood thrush is one of my very favorite birds of eastern U.S. deciduous forests. Not only does the wood thrush have a stunning melodic call, but it is a pure beauty to look at. A migratory bird, it breeds across the eastern U.S. in the summer and migrates to central and south America in the winter. The call of the wood thrush is one of the most glorious sounds of a summer evening. 

If you were to see a wood thrush from the top (dorsal) side, you likely wouldn’t think much of this bird. Because they are ground dwellers, they are well camouflaged with the leaf litter in which they search for food. A dull brown color, they blend in well with their surroundings. But if you get close enough, as I did in this picture, you can see the stunning underside of the wood thrush plumage. Across a base of smooth and creamy white and off-white are intricately placed spots of brown and dark red. The contrast immediately catches your attention.

For me, contrast is the spice of life. A warm cobbler topped with cold vanilla ice cream. A frigid morning wrapped in a snug sleeping bag. A flood of tears emerging from feelings of joy. The intertwined stillness and excitement that builds when watching a sunset or sunrise. And the magical combinations of contrasting colors that abound among our avian friends. Two seemingly opposing phenomena, when combined, that delightfully heighten both. What a marvelously contrasting world we live in!