Well, after day eleven, the young thrushes are well feathered and are  
growing and thriving. Mother and father thrush, mostly mother, feed the chicks  
throughout the day, and between feedings, the young birds stay hunkered down in  
the nest, which, due to the fact that there are only two, is quite spacious  
enough. Mom probably stays on the nest throughout the night, but does not sit  
with them during the day. She does, however, stay perched close by ready to  
protect the young from, well, mainly me. 
On occasion, she goes off in search of some fat insects, giving me brief  
opportunities to peek into the nest. The chicks eye me, motionless, presumably  
hoping that their stillness and cryptically colored plumage will protect them  
from this enormous predator, again, that's me.
 
I have put 5 more photos at the following site, only two of the photos of  
the chicks were worth keeping, but Mom poses very nicely. I never watched a  
hermit thrush so closely like this. It still blows me away. 
 
While my leg heals, I read all of your posts about fall migrants, and I  sigh 
realizing that I cannot do any of that with a big cast on. I have to see  
them vicariously through all of you and am thankful that you are writing such  
great accounts of these encounters. I still cannot believe there were   
parasitic jaegers so close to where I live. Wow. These incredibly pelagic birds  
finding their way over landlocked Vermont. Incredible.
 
Keep posting. It is all read, and all appreciated.
 
Jane Schlossberg
Saint George, VT
 
 
_http://s201.photobucket.com/albums/aa28/avesong/_ 
(http://s201.photobucket.com/albums/aa28/avesong/) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



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