Rosemary

by Rosemary
(B.C. Canada)

We live In North eastern B.C. Canada. I have been watching backyard birds for quite a while, and although not an expert, I can identify quite a few. Two days ago, while a group of sparrows and their your families were enjoying our feeder, another bird jumped upon the porch railing.

At first, I thought that it was going to be another sparrow, but then I couldn't help but stare. He/she was a bit taller than a sparrow, and sat nicely upright, not a dumpy bird.but not thin like a swallow. The sun was young in the day and I couldn't tell if his primary color was black or dark brown. Because the only view that I had was straight on I couldn't see if their were any markings. He had a light gray chest down from his beak. His head and sides/wings were black/dark brown, his legs seemed light orange. And his beak was a very bright almost reddy orange. It was thin,sharp looking,(, the best example that I can think of: more like an Oriole. He/she sat there for maybe thirty seconds and then flew as I called to my hubby to "look at this bird". On line bird identifiers have been no help, and I can't find anything in my big bird books except one almost impossible bird- the Black Nightingale thrush that is supposedly gone. I'm not a kook. I'm a sane, intelligent grandmother who can't get a bird sighting out of her mind. NOw, maybe you all have flocks of these birds at your feeders. If so, please tell me what this bird's name is?