(c) matthew_wills, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by matthew_wills · iNaturalist
May 10, 2026
Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus
One of North America's most celebrated songbirds. Its flute-like song moves in spiraling phrases — each one starting on a different pitch, ascending, then settling. Almost otherworldly in quiet forest settings.
bird call
Grantham, NH, USA · (c) Nick Kleinschmidt, some rights reserved (CC BY) · iNaturalist
drum vignette
use headphones — most small speakers won't reproduce the low frequencies
about this improv
The Hermit Thrush's song moves in spiraling phrases — each one starts on a different pitch, circles upward, then settles. I listened for the phrase groupings and the way each motif departs and returns. That sense of wandering and resolution became the rhythmic theme here.