Saturday, January 07, 2017

Coastal BC Birds: Pacific Wren

Pacific Wren

Looking for something to eat.
We were sitting on the sofa and movement caught our eye outside our sliding glass door. I was expecting to see the Song Sparrow that visited us last winter, but this bird was very different.

I got my camera to help make an identification using nature guides. The Internet is a great resource, but up at the cabin with limited access having books makes getting an answer right away much easier.

The tiny, plump bird was busy flitting from one empty flower pot to the next looking for tiny seeds in the soil. That was a difficult task since the surface was frozen solid from the sub-zero temperatures during the recent Arctic inflow.

Where are all the seeds?

He slowed down long enough for me to get a few shots through the glass door. The body about was 10 cm (4 in) in size and quite round, especially with the feathers fluffed up to stay warm. The colour was dark brown with a reddish cast. The short tail, constantly flicking up and down, had darker horizontal scalloped bands. A short, thin beak looked perfect for seed cracking. My guide said it was most likely a Pacific Wren.

They are common in coniferous forests, but move below the snow line in winter. Maybe that’s why it’s here now. Snow is down to about 500 feet, not far above our float cabin’s location at lake surface.

A plump Pacific Wren visiting our pots on the cabin deck.

I took my feeder down because seeds kept sprouting during rainy weather, so I added some birdseed to the flowerpots. I should be able to easily pull out any sprouts before spring planting time comes.

It’s so good to have a winter bird visit our cabin. I really miss all of the spring and summer bird calls and activity. -- Margy

References: Birds of Southwestern British Columbia by R. Cannings, T. Aversa and H. Opperman (2005) and National Geographic Complete Birds of North America edited by Jonathan Alderfer (2nd Edition 2014).

15 comments:

  1. Wrens aren't much to look at, colour-wise, but they sure are nice to watch.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. With very few birds around I'll take any and all who visit. - Margy

      Delete
  2. What a darling little bird! He looks well fed so he must be finding something to eat. I miss yardbirds these days in every season. We can't have feeders in either of our coast homes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This if the first year I've used feeders. They haven't been very active, probably because there's plenty of forest food available. - Margy

      Delete
  3. That's an adorable wren, hope it continues to visit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. With snow this week I didn't see it again, even though I put out my new feeder full of seeds on the cabin deck, right where it visited the planter pot. - Margy

      Delete
  4. I love wrens, but rarely see them. And when I do, it's that upturned tail, just disappearing into the undergrowth. Your photos are great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They do move fast. Getting my shots took a long time and I had to take them through the glass door to not disturb him. - Margy

      Delete
  5. Looks like a wren to me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I'm not a bird expert. - Margy

      Delete
  6. Such a sweet little bird - I've seen one or two now and then - one time got some good shots of one on our deck. I bet it appreciated the seeds.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is actually a pair, I saw the second one after these shots. They are gone again, hope they return. - Margy

      Delete
  7. Liked your up-close-and-personal shots of a wren. Hope you see them again.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love wren ~ so sweet and great shot closeup ~ thanks,

    Wishing you a lovely week ~ ^_^

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hello, the wren is adorable. It may appreciate the food with the snow around. Great photos! Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Enjoy your day!

    ReplyDelete

We welcome your comments and questions. - Wayne and Margy