Towheeblog

The Hermit Thrush is usually singular. He is never overt nor found in a flock. Shyness and stealth are his most obvious traits, making him less than obvious most of the time. Only when you hear his voice from a shady mountain slope in spring is he not only singular but singing a memorable tune. He has the beautiful flute-like voice of many members of the thrush family. I got a picture of this particular Herit Thrush after he’d been chasing another. This bird was angrily fluttering his wings and had his tail fanned out, apparently aggressive signals in the Hermetic world. He wanted to be alone with the madrone berries.
The Robin is a larger, gregarious more obvious cousin to the Hermit Thrush. They are both enjoying this year’s amdrone berry crop but inbetween meals the Hermit Thrush goes into concealment while the Robin may perch in a treetop. See the bird in the lower left quadrant of this image? Robin.

Screech-owl napping in a tree hole.

Late afternoon sunset behind the Siskiyous.