Winter Wren

Almost every day the past few weeks I have seen a Winter Wren. Donald Kroodsma wrote an article years ago in Cornell’s publication, Living Bird, about how every hour as the sun rises there’s a winter wren singing somewhere on the planet. Unfortunately when Winter Wrens are foraging in city parks or a berm outside a skyscraper, they’re not singing. But they’re cute little characters and I have to smile with delight. I finally found one a few days ago who tolerated my glee long enough for this picture.

Early Morning Crows in Grant Park

The days are shortening quickly and it’s darker than ever in the morning. It’s getting harder to get up an hour early and go downtown before work. I’m not a fan of the new extended daylight savings time. Prior to this “energy saving” innovation, right about now we’d be setting the clocks back and thereby have more light early. I don’t get the energy-saving part at all: if you’re up this early you still have to turn lights on. I have to leave lights on for my indoor birds so I don’t leave them in the dark.

We’ll revisit the crows in a couple months when they’re in the snow.

Sneak preview

Eastern Phoebe

There were two Eastern Phoebes perched on this mesh fence; here’s one of them. Likely the last of the flycatchers I’ll see downtown until spring.

Monroe Harbor early October morning

The sun was beginning to break through the clouds on Monroe Harbor but the fishing birds, which included Horned Grebes and Double-Crested Cormorants, were only silhouettes. It will take some time to get used to the angle of this light.

Harbor Crow

Have peanuts, will travel. I still can’t get over how friendly the juvenile crows are this year, and there are so many of them.

Crow perched on a park bench.

Would you like a seat?