Mike Powell

Throughout this winter, I have been trying to capture an image of Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis), a tiny bird that spends the cold season in my area. As described by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “Winter Wrens hop and scamper through the understory moving more like a mouse than a bird as they investigate upturned roots and decaying logs for food. These energetic birds often bob their entire bodies as if doing squats while they nervously look around in the forest understory.”

I have occasionally caught glimpses of Winter Wrens, but they have invariably moved away before I could get a shot. These wrens are really elusive as they scurry about among the tangled branches and leaves and my camera has struggled to focus on them, choosing instead to focus on the surrounding vegetation.

On Monday, I finally managed to get a shot of a Winter Wren, after tracking it through the brush for almost 15 minutes. It is definitely not a prize-winner, but I am pretty confident that I achieved my goal. Parts of the bird are hidden by branches, but I think helps viewers to better understand the environment in which this little birds are found.

Now I have a new challenge—to get a better shot of a Winter Wren. That’s part of the cycle of being a wildlife photographer, celebrating small achievements, but always believing that I can do better. That’s why I return again and again to the same places, always watching, always waiting, wildly optimistic that new opportunities will present themselves.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

I could hear rustling in the fallen leaves along one of the trails yesterday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, but had trouble determining what was making the noise. Most of the time, sparrows fly away in similar situations, but this little creature seemed to be crawling about, moving in one direction undeterred by my presence. When I finally got a partial glimpse of it, I realized that it was a Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis).

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology describes the appearance and behavior of the Winter Wren in these words, “It sports a palette of browns with dark barring on the wings, tail, and belly. It habitually holds its tiny tail straight up and bounces up and down. This rather weak flier hops and scampers among fallen logs mouselike, inspecting upturned roots and vegetation for insects.” Wow. I don’t recall any other instance of the term “mouselike” being used to describe a bird, but it fits pretty well.

The little Winter Wren was a ball of energy, moving all the time in and out of the vegetation, making it hard to track and even harder to photograph. Eventually it hopped up onto a perch for a few seconds and I was able to capture the first two images. Most of the time, though, it was hidden in the undergrowth, even when it was mostly exposed as in the final image, which gives you a good idea of its habitat.

I really encourage you to click on the images to get a closer view of the different shades of brown and detailed patterns on this beautiful little Winter Wren.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »