A Gray-cheeked Thrush?

[Tom Walter]

This is the last of three new species that I photographed during a trip to the Northeast in the middle of July. This bird was singing its heart out in the morning and the evening in the hills along the slopes of Mt Orford, Quebec. It constantly stayed undetected in the trees but one morning I caught it on this wood retaining wall. I scanned my bird guide and my best guess is that it is a Gray-cheeked Thrush. Can anybody confirm this or identify it as another species.

NikonD7000
Nikon70-300 4.5-5.6G VR
1/320 sec at f/5.6 and 300mm
ISO800
Handheld

[Paul Guris]

Bright bill, reddish in the primaries, reddish tail, and reasonably obvious eyering all point to Hermit Thrush to me.

[Tom Walter]

Thanks Paul. Now that I look more closely and the bird guide I can see why you identified it as a hermit thrush. In reading more closely, the hermit thrush has a complete white eye-ring whereas the eye-ring of the gray-cheeked thrush is incomplete.

Tom

[Daniel Cadieux]

I agree with the ID provided. These guys have an amazing song too (as do most thrushes), hope you remember it...if not check it out either online or if you have an "app" on a device.