With regard to the question of commonality of this species singing in
winter, I can add a few observations. For about 30 years I have
hunted deer on my land in Shenandoah County in late November-early
December. I am often in the woods at or before daybreak and
temperatures can be anywhere from the teens to the 40s at that hour.
For many years, I regularly heard Hermit Thrushes singing at or
slightly after daybreak, and occasionally more than one at a time.
From my tree stand I watched them feeding and interacting around me,
but their singing was usually confined to the very early morning. We
no longer have them except as uncommon migrants in the fall; for the
past several years I have neither seen nor heard one from my stand
(which is the same one I've used for about 20 years). We suspect that
they, like other understory or forest floor species of birds and
mammals (eg. chipmunks) have declined or disappeared due to the
combination of succession from old fields/ young forest to
increasingly uniform semi-mature forest (both our land and
surrounding) and from serious deer-browse. The latter is presumably
from the combined effects of population growth, in general, and
significant decline in local hunting pressure, in particular.
I really miss the haunting flute-like, but muted songs and the busy
activity in the leaf litter below. These perky little thrushes sure
helped fill the often long, quiet stretches between deer activity.
They even inspired me to write a "note" on their odd feeding behavior
which was published in "The Raven" (Vol. 67 No. 1, page 36)
Dave Davis
Arlington and Cedar Creek
