Two Neighborhood Thrushes

I took the day off yesterday and decided to get outside in the afternoon and go birding. I walked about 3 miles through the neighborhood over the course of a couple hours. When I finally got back, the most interesting bird was waiting for me in my front yard -- a Hermit Thrush. It let me get close enough to take this mediocre picture. Hermit Thrushes live here in the winter and I'm used to seeing them in less populated areas where the woods are thicker and there's more low cover. They like to forage on the ground. Surprisingly, I have never seen a Hermit Thrush anywhere else in the neighborhood -- just occasionally in my yard. They are related to American Robins which we have in abundance right now. Robins are in the thrush family and are quite a bit larger and more numerous. But you can really see the similarities in body types and behaviors that Robins and Hermit Thrushes have when they're both looking for bugs and worms in your yard.