Lefty White...

In 2010 a special Gray Catbird took up residency in the backyard and began displaying and behaving unmistakeably male.  There are plenty of catbirds out there every year, but this guy had some white feathers on his left wing.  He was quite friendly and spent the entire summer seemingly within a 50 meter radius around the hammock.  We all get used to seeing our backyard birds, but when one becomes so easily recognizable as an individual, it multiplies the fun exponentially.  Could he really be called anything but Lefty White?

I'm not sure if he was a case of partial leucism or if maybe an old wing injury could have caused it.  I didn't see him again in 2011, though I admit to paying close attention to each and every catbird that was around, hoping to catch that glimpse of white again on one of the mewers.  I wonder what became of Lefty White - did he survive that fall's migration?  Did he get picked off by a predator because of his flashy patch?  I'll never know his fate, but it was fun to have him around while he was here.


Of all the hours I seemed to have spent in the close proximity to Lefty White that summer, this is somehow the only photographic documentation I got of him - I know, this is inexcusable.  At least he spread his wings and tail a little and made sure his dark cap was visible...

Just so you don't feel ripped off by the lack of decent bird photos in this post, here is a cool video I found online that may satisfy your need for more Whitey a la Dumetella...