Hermit Thrush: Emmons’ Preserve, Kennebunkport Land Trust, Kennebunkport, Maine, April 2026 — I forget how early the Hermit Thrush returns to southern Maine. There are no leaves on the trees yet, the buds on most plants are just forming, and the maples are only now just blooming, and here is the Hermit Thrush already passing through our forests. Not singing yet. Silent, but there. There were two close together at Emmons’ Preserve, perhaps a pair. I am always happy to see one (and to hear one—one of the most haunting of songs), and I have seen them early the past two years, despite the accuracy of their name. They are indeed shy and retiring, not fond of company, and often solitary. To see two together was a rare treat. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at about 1000mm equivalent field of view crop. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.