Hermit Thrushes are not especially adept at clinging to the sides of things the way a nuthatch, titmouse, chickadee, or even a bluebird is. Nor are they adept at hovering like a hummingbird, or perhaps a kinglet, who do quite a bit of hovering in case you didn’t know. No, Hermit Thrushes spend much of their time on the ground foraging among the leaf litter or foraging in fruit laden trees and vines. I often see a Hermit Thrush feeding on the ground beneath our feeders here at the Museum.
Last week when all of our birds feeders were covered with siskins and other hungry birds, but mostly siskins, and the ground beneath the feeders was saturated with finches, sparrows, and Morning Doves, the only relatively open feeder was the suet. Apparently finding it uncomfortably crowded beneath the feeders, one of our local hermits decided to go for the suet. Here’s some photos.
I watched this Hermit Thrush make several sallies forth to the suet, some successful, some not so successful. The bird finally left, I think, a bit frustrated.
Greg Dodge is a professional naturalist as well as a writer, videographer and producer of natural history DVDs. His images have been used in various TV productions, museum displays, and corporate videos. Above all, he has a fascination and passion for all things natural.
He can be found Tuesday thru Saturday in Explore the Wild, Catch the Wind, or on the Dinosaur Trail. Ask him what’s new in the wild!