Now that I knew about the nest, I felt a sense of responsibility for it. On the day of the discovery, I gave a tour to some folks who happened to be birders. I told them about the nest, and we attempted to see it, but frightened mom off the nest as we approached. They told me that looking at a nest can alert predators to its whereabouts, so we did not attempt to get close. The nest was located three to four feet off the ground on a path used by people (but always empty when I'm there in the early morning), and clearly visible if one knew where to look, so I kept it mostly secret. When I went out in the mornings, I passed by the bush and went to an open meadow area, without drawing attention to it. Upon leaving, I would frequently see a bird leave the bush from afar, and I knew that all was well. On the fifth day after 'discovery,' I sensed that something was amiss and looked into the bush. The nest was tipped forward and its contents were nowhere to be found. The grass under the nest was smashed, otherwise, no details of the theft were visible to my novice eyes. One morning, a month or so before, a raccoon came crashing up the hill toward that very spot. There are also feral cats in the area, the occasional house cat, dogs, and for a brief time years ago, a mink lived in our compost bins. We can only hope that the parent thrushes learned a lesson and will build a nest in a more protected spot.
I took the beautifully built nest, constructed of twigs, moss, and lichen. The larger sticks were threaded into the bush and held it securely, until unknown predator pulled the nest over. We suspect the white feather came from some domesticated geese in the neighborhood. You can see it at my house, or here:
