Brown Creepers (Certhia americana) are unusual-looking birds. They are relatively small songbirds (about 5 inches (13 cm) in length) that have long, curved claws and a sharp, curved bill. Their mottled bodies cause them to blend in really well with the bark of the trees on which they are usually found. Even when I manage to spot one, they tend to be in motion all of the time as they spiral their way up the trunk of the tree, making them tough to photograph.
Last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge I was thrilled to capture some shots of a Brown Creeper. I was particularly happy that the images show the bird’s distinctive bill and claws. In the middle photo, you can see how the creeper uses its curved bill to poke about in the crevices as it searches for insects, sometimes bracing itself with its stiff tail.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
one of my favorites
Thanks, Sherry. I don’t see them very often, but am always happy when I do. 🙂
Excellent 😁😁. Great shots of a hard to photo little guy.
Thanks, Ted. I can definitely attest to the fact that these little guys are hard to find and even harder to photograph. Fortunately I was quick to react in this case and blasted off a series of shots, any of which were out of focus, alas, but a few came out ok. 🙂
The ‘blasting’ away is how I do things 😂😂
Wow those nails 😮. My parrot scratches me with her nails and it hurts but hers are not like that.. I’m sure the nails of the bird in the photo hurts allot.
What a long, sharp beak! Very interesting bird, thanks for sharing.