With A Song in My Heart–October 8, 2013
This little Marsh wren was singing his heart out, and a pretty tune it was.
The male Marsh wren is typically secretive and usually remains hidden from view. I can vouch for that fact, the few times that I’ve caught a glimpse of him. So it was a coup to find this one so blatantly out in the open. But truth be told, there was a Bluejay on the branch just seconds before. I was focusing and zooming my camera for it when the bluejay flew off and the wren flew in. I’ll take it anyway I can.
Spotted a red-bellied woodpecker today, as well–a first for the peninsula. According to Cornell’s All About Birds the red-bellied woodpecker can stick its tongue out two inches beyond its beak.
The tip is barbed and the bird’s spit is sticky, so it is easier to get prey from deep crevices. The males have longer, wider-tipped tongues than females, and Cornell speculates that this allows a breeding pair to forage in slightly different places on their territory and maximize their use of available food.
Very smart indeed.
Here’s an interesting collection of birds – (l) ibis, snowy egrets and a tricolor heron. And in the second photo (r), a great white egret, snowy egrets and little blue herons. This makes me wonder, who decides which tree, and why?
But you know what’s nice about these photos — all these different birds are getting along, and that’s more than can be said for some members of our species these days.
Green Thought: “In the first place, you can’t see anything from a car.”― ed abbey
