New to My Patch: Hermit Thrush

This day, I visited my patch with the intent to photograph another bird, but right away I found this Hermit Thrush, which is new to my patch and a bird I have never taken photos of before.  So, I plunked down on my light-weigh camo fold-up chair right in the middle the brush where the Hermit Thrush was hanging out and just started taking pictures.

Right away I discovered some interesting antics.  The Hermit Thrush would shimmy up and down branches - almost like it was sliding along the branch, but was really a series of super rapid hops. The only thing I could relate it to was the online video clips of the dancing of the red-capped manakins. At the same time it was splaying out its tail feathers and stiffened out its wings.  Was it displaying against me the intruder?  Was it trying to signal a mate?  Or was it just showing off for me? I'm not sure exactly what it was doing, but it sure made me laugh.

And here is an example of the reason it's called a Hermit Thrush!  - They tend to skulk in the dense undergrowth.  Good for their safety, but tough for the poor sap trying take its picture.

I shot over a hundred photos, but very few are worth posting as this Hermit Thrush was in the thick of the branches and I almost never had a clear view.  I do like this photo as it shows the key identification characteristics of the Hermit Thrush: heavily spotted breast, faint eye ring, not much cheek contrast, and gray-brown head and upper parts with a more rusty tail.  A Swainson's Thrushes would be more uniform reddish-brown from tail to upper parts and have a more prominent cheek contrast.  This Hermit Thrush may look a little different if you are not from the intermountain west as it is the interior west race.