I've been observing a Hermit Thrush for the last week or so at the Clyde Austin 4-H Center where I work. One day I saw it feeding on the ground underneath a Rosa multiflora that climbs up into a large tree. The bird seemed to be shivering. A closer look showed that it was shaking one leg in a stiff up and down motion, vibrating its foot against the ground and/or leaf litter. Occasionally it would shift its weight and change legs. Several times I saw it dart forward and bend down to catch a small creature on the ground. It fed like this for several minutes as I watched. I have not been able to find a written description of this type of behavior in Hermit Thrushes, although it seems similar to the techniques of certain wading birds. I do not, however, have ready access to Bent's Life Histories. Has anyone seen a report of this behavior in Hermit Thrushes or other non-wading birds before, or seen the behavior itself? Don Holt Johnson City, TN =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation. ----------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ----------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s) endorse the views or opinions expressed by the members of this discussion group. Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ========================================================