Yesterday, while wandering through our Littleton farm, I noticed movement behind a row of shrubs. Standing my ground, I waited several minutes before the stranger emerged and, though he remained in the shadows, I knew at once that he was a hermit thrush.
Summer residents across Canada and southward through the mountains of North America, this hardy thrush is slow to migrate southward or to the coasts, feeding on berries once the insects disappear. Like his cousins, he prefers to feed on or near the ground, running into the cover of shrubs or thickets if disturbed.
While most hermit thrushes end up wintering across the southern U.S. or along the coasts, some linger in colder regions if adequate food is available. Yesterday's visitor was the first I have seen on our farm and, if we have another mild winter, he may just stay for the season.
Summer residents across Canada and southward through the mountains of North America, this hardy thrush is slow to migrate southward or to the coasts, feeding on berries once the insects disappear. Like his cousins, he prefers to feed on or near the ground, running into the cover of shrubs or thickets if disturbed.
While most hermit thrushes end up wintering across the southern U.S. or along the coasts, some linger in colder regions if adequate food is available. Yesterday's visitor was the first I have seen on our farm and, if we have another mild winter, he may just stay for the season.
