The Varied Thrush, formerly a common winter resident where I live near the Oregon coast, failed to appear last year and I missed hearing their reedy call wfting throught the matrue forest that surrounds my home. I always enjoyed seeing them in berry bushes or on the grond seeking food beneath old leaves, occasionally moving to higher perches to sing or move between foraging sites. I have recently read that they are now listed as a "common bird in steep decline". This painting depicts a male Varied Thrush perched in a Big Leaf Maple growing near my driveway, something I hope to see again.