Our winter hermit

This little bird is a hermit thrush. Migrating to the southern half of the U.S. to spend winter, it lives the rest of the year in the woods of Canada, Alaska, the far northeastern and mountainous western U.S.

During the hermit thrush's winter vacation to Southeast Missouri, it will spend most of its time close to or on the ground looking for small berries and insects found by searching under fallen leaves. The winter sound I have heard this bird make on several occasions is a quick "chuk-chuk" simultaneous with slight quick fluttering of its wings and/or tail. Hermit thrushes tend to like standing on logs with chest out while surveying their surroundings.

A female hermit thrush, although only growing to about 6 1/2 inches long and usually making its nest low in a pine tree, will sometimes nest on the ground. This fact makes the hermit thrush one of the world's smallest ground-nesting birds. You may consider yourself lucky to photograph or even see this small secretive little bird.

Through the Woods is a weekly nature photo column by Aaron Horrell.