Week 2 – Hermit Thrush

I spent Saturday afternoon strolling around Hull’s Grove in the foothills surrounding Boise. It was a beautifully sunny, crisp winter day with temperatures in the single digits during the morning. Earlier in the day I had seen a number of raptors including American Kestrels, Red-tailed Hawks, and a Northern Harrier. A walk through the grove yielded a lot of finches, blackbirds, sparrows, robins, and one surprising thrush. Swainson’s and Hermit Thrushes can be difficult to tell apart if you don’t hear them vocalize (which I didn’t). After looking through several other photographs of different angles and checking my field guide repeatedly, I finally arrived at Hermit Thrush. Most Hermit Thrushes migrate to the southern United States and Mexico, or stay at home along the Pacific Coast. These guys produce one of my favorite songs of all time, and folks who know me hear it often from my phone (my text message alert is a Hermit Thrush song!). If you haven’t heard their beautiful song, check it out here. Apparently this Hermit Thrush has decided to make it’s winter home in the Boise foothills.

What will week 3 bring?