Possible Gray-cheeked Thrush at First Creek

[john haycraft]

Possible GCTH at Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR - First Creek.  Bird was found in the cottonwoods running east of the fence corner near the pond at the end of the path (along dirt road).  Distinctly different thrush from Hermit Thrush seen at trail start on east side of road ten minutes later.  

No rufous in tail/rump.  Slight rufous in primaries.  Extremely thin eye ring (Hermit was bolder).  Very gray flanks.  Dull back (the Hermit was much warmer).  Throat had a yellow wash.  Bill was yellow at base with a dark tip (halfway) on top and bottom of bill.  Bird did not call, but it did allow for long, fairly close looks - not shy.  Bird eventually flew southwest across pond.  Would love it if other birders could confirm.  

[birding...@gmail.com]

I was there yesterday with Roseanne J and she spotted this bird where you mentioned.  I put it down as a Hermit.  I thought I had seen rufous in the tail at the time, but I can't prove that I did.  I also didn't get any side or back photos.  The bird in this photo sounds like the one you described, so if anyone wants to venture an opinion, this may help.  

John Breitsch

Denver, Colorado

https://www.flickr.com/photos/breitschbirding/

[john haycraft]

That's the bird!  I think I'll change my Gray-cheeked to Hermit and the Hermit I saw later (which had a more prominent eye-ring and warmer coloring) to Swainson's.  Thanks for the feedback!

[Derek Hill]

This photo looks OK for Hermit Thrush. Thrushes can be tough, considering their similar plumage and tendencies to stay hidden in the shadowy thickets.  Keep in mind we also can potentially have migrants of unusual subspecies - dark Veery, russet-backed Swainson's, etc., which could make things more challenging.  We used to get hundreds of Swainson's Thrushes in spring and fall migration back in NCTX, with Gray-cheeked being outnumbered probably 50:1 or 100:1.      Gray-cheeked, after seeing enough, become pretty distinctive in the different appearance of the face.  Gray-cheeked typically doesn't really have an "eye-ring" per se, but more of a lack of eyering.   Let me put it this way, a lack of pale orbital ring in the frontal half, and a semblance of an eyering on the rear half, being pronounced as a pale 'teardrop' behind the eye - think Cordilleran/PacSlope Flycatcher, but less pronounced.        Hermit Thrush seems to be somewhat in between Swainson's (usually buffy complete eyering) and Gray-cheeked (incomplete, teardrop to the rear) with Hermit being a simple eyering, like in this photo. Oft times Hermit would throw a wrench in the gears because of it's 'middle of the road' facial pattern - but time-of-year, and of course a view of the rusty tail would typically solve that.  Now Bicknell's Thrush.... good luck with that one.

Derek Hill

Milliken

[Rosanne J.]

Here are the photos I took of the bird when with John B showing the side and back. I see some russet by the tail. Sounds like a confirmation of Hermit Thrush.

Best,

Rosanne Juergens

On Monday, October 1, 2018 at 4:08:24 PM UTC-6, birding...@gmail.com wrote: