Curve-billed Thrasher acting unusually

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I was happy to find this Curve-billed Thrasher on my friend's property east of Canon City. It was near the location that a pair had nested 2 years ago. Since my friend had tore out the very large cholla where the nests (they successfully renested that same year in a nearby cholla) had been located I had not seen any Curve-billed Thrashers in this area until today.
However the bird kept closing it's eyelid and it's nictitating membrane. The bottom pic shows the eyelid half closed. There were times that it had it's eyelid totally closed which is not very adaptive with me standing not far away and especially in the daytime (the nictitating membrane would not have been unusual). SeEtta

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