Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) are quite common in Northern Virginia, where I live. Most often, though, I get a only a glimpse of one when I hear it loudly singing. Carolina Wrens often seem to bury themselves in the low vegetation and it is hard to get an unobstructed view of one.
Last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I spotted a Carolina Wren as it was moving about and manage to track it. I attempted to take a lot of shots of the little bird, but most of them were blurry or had the head hidden by branches. There are a lot of branches (and shadows) in this photo too, but I was fortunate enough to be able to focus on the wren’s eye.
I really love the warmth of the colors on the wren’s body and how well it blended into its surrounds. The color palette is minimal, with mostly varying shade of brown, but the little green bits add some visual interest and give rises to hope that the bleak days of winter will eventually be replaced by the new growth of spring.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Nice capture
I think this is a gorgeous photo. I imagine it must have been really tricky to capture but I actually really love the way the branches frame the eye – which has a perfect catchlight – and it places the wren within its environment. The hues and the composition also communicate an atmosphere of warmth and cozy snugness.
Thanks, Laura. In fact I had to move around a little to get that composition with the eye clear of obstructions. From the photo, I can see that there were shadows on both sides of the eyes, but when I was taking the photo, I though they were branches. I ended up bending and twisting a bit to get the composition that you see. I’m really happy about the way it turned out and love your description of the “atmosphere of warmth and cozy snugness.”
Wonderful image Mike!
Thanks.