The Loudsingers

12
Written by cabanisi

A Pacific Wren belts out its swift, cascading song on the bank of a swollen creek, above.

Barely longer than my thumb, its astonishingly loud voice easily cuts over the noise of the churning stream:

These tiny birds live on or near the forest floor, scurrying about like mice over and under moss covered logs, searching the ferns and tangles for insects and spiders.

They keep moving and can be very hard to spot:

The Pacific Wren has a stubby little tail which usually sticks straight up into the air and wags around as it goes about its business:

Its wings, tail, and underparts are decorated with an intricate pattern of dark bars and spots:

The widespread Bewick’s Wren is also found in the Pacific Northwest. It’s another tiny bird with a big voice, and one of them often sings me out of bed in the morning. Bewick’s Wrens are slightly larger than Pacific Wrens and sport a bold brown-and-white face pattern:

Their longer tails are tipped with white on the outer corners:

These Bewick’s Wrens were photographed in my garden. Normally rather secretive and shy, a pair of them have warmed up to me over the past year.

Here, we enjoy a spring shower together:

The song of a Pacific Wren may be heard here:

https://xeno-canto.org/665049

And just one example of a Bewick’s Wren song:

https://xeno-canto.org/61472

Enjoy! And thanks for visiting.

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