The hammer

It was delightful to see the thrasher and for sure the thrasher saw me and tolerated me. Smart bird. If I stood there no raptor would swoop down and grab it while it was hunting for food.  I've always watched thrashers tossing leaves, finding goodies under the leaves. This time the behavior was different. Whatever was there it had to have been hard, because thrasher extended its neck and hammered at the subject, not repeat hammering like a woodpecker, just one mighty BANG.  If my hand had been there  that beak would have gone right through my hand.

I couldn't tell what was being smashed, perhaps an acorn, but this behavior, stretch-BANG, was new for me.

Finally I could see what was being attacked, an almond, too hard to crunch with beak, but smashable by attack from above, like a sledgehammer.

It stayed. I stayed until nut was eaten. They we both went our private way.  Clever thrasher.
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