Today's Birds

[micpic]

Winter Wren

Hermit Thrush

Female Redbreasted Grosbeak?

[Steve Foss]

Nice ones, mic. Your third image is a female purple finch. I'm on the fence with the wren.

[Birdsong]

Lucky you! They are arriving! I also think a female purple finch. Their markings are really similar, aren't they? Size is quite a bit different, and this little girl doesn't quite have the gros beak. I still have not had one little kinglet that you have sent our way. But every time I go out to see what has happened with in ruby crowned central, the resident sharp-shinned is snacking on one of the other residents. Now he is vocalizing quite a bit, too. I have never heard that before. I suppose he is looking for a little woman also. Wouldn't you think that dating and dining might be mutually exclusive?

[micpic]

Thanks for that lesson on Purple Finch's. I thought it a bit early for Grosbeaks. The Wren I'm identifying by it's size and actions. It was along the river going from brush pile to brush pile. It was also very small and fast. Maybe the snow we had last Sunday is holding up the Kinglet run, plus we've had a harsh northwest wind for about 5 days now.

[finnbay]

The great (not white, snow) hope series!

[Steve Foss]

mic, that sounds indeed like a winter wren. Did you hear its song? It's very long and beautiful, and not like a house wren's.

[micpic]

Steve, the Wren was'nt singing as far as I know, but I'm a little deaf. There is a lady not to far away that feeds birds and has a Winter Wren almost every year. When her husband mows lawn it takes longer to get the mower out of the shed and get started, than it takes to mow the lawn. It's a jungle over there. That's probably why the wren likes it.

Mike

[Borealhunter]

its a winter wren. Winter Wrens migrate early and you can usually hear there long song in April. By the way the Winter Wren has the longest song in North America.

Mike