Observation

In the fall we often see hermit thrushes. They hang about in the bushes around our house. They particularly like to snag berries from the pyracantha. They glide low over the driveway and pull up to slip into an opening in the shrubbery. They are around all winter long, but we never hear them singing. They last into May before they disappear. Or so I thought.
It was Ted who first suggested that the thrushes we are seeing now are not hermit thrushes. Huh?
Well it is true that the spots on their breast do seem to be gray and not black. They also seem to be even shyer than the hermit thrushes. Lastly though, what about their tail color? Is it rusty against a brown or gray back, or is it the same color as the back?
At this point I'm unsure. I just wish I had paid more attention for the last several weeks, really looking at what I was seeing, instead of just seeing what I expected to see.