This handsome Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) posed momentarily for me during my visit earlier this week to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It was unusual for me to be able to get such an unobstructed shot of a bird. Although the leaves are gone from the trees, most of the birds at this time of the year seem to forage within the vegetation where my view is often partially blocked by branches.
I am reasonably sure that this is a Hermit Thrush, though I do not see this species very often, so it is possible that I am mistaken in my identification. Let me know if you think that I have misidentified this bird.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Such a cute bird 🙂
Thanks. I could not immediately identify when I took the photo, but I tend to follow the approach of the Old West in the USA, “Shoot first and ask questions later.” 🙂
Nice shot, Mike.
We have had what we think is a hermit thrush visiting our feeder all week. Like you, we are unsure of the ID. I posted some (very bad) shots in the FB group Maryland Birdwatchers and Identification Group, and the general consensus there was that it was a hermit thrush. But the wings and back are more brown than chestnut as in your bird, and the breast more speckled. So i don’t know. When we first saw it, it looked sick. It would come to the feeder only when it was otherwise deserted, and then it would just sit there, occasionally eating a seed. But now it seems to have recovered. It joins the finches and sparrows and gobbles down the seeds with aplomb. We always love to see it there.
That’s simply beautiful, Mike!
Thanks, Mitzy. I am really thankful to be able to photograph any birds at all in the wild during the winter. I consider it a miracle that I are able to survive the cold and the limitrd food sources at this time of the year.