It was an uneventful weekend, cold and blustery; no spring migrants in sight. I was refilling my bird feeder when I noticed this small brown nondescript bird running up the trunk and limb of a nearby crab apple tree, frequently vanishing from sight then popping out again higher up. From there it would drop down to the base of the tree and then run up again, repeating this several times until flying off to another tree: a Brown Creeper.
They are not rare, but easy to overlook as the pattern of their back almost matches that of the bark of the tree. They are year around residents feeding on a variety of small invertebrates that they glean from cracks in the bark.
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Good Birding!
Loved the pictures. I've only had one brown creeper (at least, only one that I've ever seen) here in Brownsville in the 8.5 years that we've been here. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMarcia
@Dawn: Thank you. Seeing the bird made my day!
ReplyDelete@Marcia: Thank you. They are so hard to see. Scanning for movementa on the trunks is probably the best strategy.
Great pix, Hilke!
ReplyDeleteAdorable little guys aren't they, and so had to see.
ReplyDeleteGreat photo's of it's action...Love the last one!!!
What wonderful images! He is an adorable bird! I have never seen a creeper in Thunder Bay. They look a lot like nuthatches!
ReplyDelete@ JoAnne, Grammie and Katja Maki, thank you for your kind words!
ReplyDeleteGreat shots of a really interesting little fellow. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
ReplyDeleteHilke, what a great bird and sighting. They blend in so well with the tree trunks they are often too hard to find. Loved the photos.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots, they sure make it tough for good photos!
ReplyDeleteI have only seen one once and that was years ago. Great captures of this cute and hard to see bird!
ReplyDeleteI love these little guys and am always happy when I see one.
ReplyDeleteGreat job with this series. You perfectly captured just how hard they are to photograph because of their behaviors and colors and where they hang out. The light is almost always bad for getting sharp shots with crisp detail. Kelly Riccetti (red and the peanut) got some incredible shots of them. You guys keep me working to get better at capturing wildlife, that's for sure!
ReplyDeletewhat a gorgeous little guy!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Gary, Eileen, Jen, Jean, Julia, Robin and Texwisgirl!
ReplyDelete@Robin: you are right, they are very hard to shoot. I ran in to get my camera and starting taking pics. After a while I realized that he wasn't going to fly off right away and had time to check the settings; they were all overexposed! but I had time to correct that. Crossley in his ID Guide didn't have much better luck: the back feathers are out of focus, just like mine. I am going to check out Kelly's photos.
@Robin: I checked Kelly's photos and now realize that the back feathers are 'blurry', it's just the way they really are!
ReplyDeleteGreat series of this cryptic little 'cliff climber'. Any sighting of our Treecreeper always excites me and maybe oneday I'll get a decent image. Well done Hilke. FAB.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and pictures. The Brown Creepers are always fun to watch and enjoy. thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos of the Brown Creeper.
ReplyDeleteWow! What a marvellous post!
ReplyDeleteHave a nice evening:)
Wonderfl shots of this lovely little bird.
ReplyDeleteHi Hilke -- I love that little guy! And your pictures are great. We used to go to a dentist (in Oregon) whose office was on the edge of a park -- once I saw a creeper on the tree right outside the chair window. (Only good thing I can ever remember about going to the dentist as I was able to watch it for quite a while as I waited between stuff.)
ReplyDeleteA lovely bird to watch never mind capture an image of. Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos documenting the Brown Creeper in action! He certainly is well-camouflaged. After I read your post, I peered out the window at my crabapple tree, hoping to see something creeping up the trunk.
ReplyDeleteNice photos. Always a hard bird to photograph so you've done well.
ReplyDeleteHe certainly does blend in.
ReplyDeleteI love the next to last shot!
Nice set of images.
Great Work with this little bird..Ive never been able to get a decent photo of one--
ReplyDeleteLove to hear them singing now...a sure sign of spring!
ReplyDeleteYou just never know when you walk outside what you might see. You are very tuned in! Lovely shots Hilke!
ReplyDeleteNice series of one of my favorite little birds. It's unfortunately a species that I have yet to photograph -- I've seen them many times, but never when I have a camera in hand.
ReplyDeleteThat's a nice series and gorgeous photos of this little Beauty!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! A great set of images. Well done.
ReplyDeleteGreat find - I love the creeper. The way it runs up a tree is just unique!
ReplyDeleteI love these little fellows...they are so sweet sounding. Your photos are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWonderful sequence of photos! These busy birds are never easy to photograph. You have done a beautiful job. Always a joy to view your splendid blog!
ReplyDeleteYou forgot to mention that it is not easy tog et pictures of them, they moce so much ;-) You got a beautiful set...
ReplyDeleteThank you, Frank, Bill, Mick, Joo, JM, Sallie, Andrew, Pat, Adam, Carletta, Sondra, Larry, Springman, Pat, Nicole, Fotokarusellen, Dreamfalcon, Kelly, Julie, and Chris. Wow! So many kind words and compliments! It was mostly luck, you know, in following the little creeper with my camera, losing him, then picking him up again. I am glad he gave me that chance!
ReplyDeleteits nice to get an un-expected visitor such as this, glad it stayed long enough to get some great images
ReplyDeleteWell done
This is one of my fvorite bird species! I have now seen it in Maine, AZ, CT, and NY, but not here in MA! What gives? You got some nice photos of it anyways!
ReplyDeletelol, I photographed two of them today. They seem to behave the same where you live. It is almost impossible to get a good shot where you see the head. :)
ReplyDeleteThose are great shots Hilke, and a really tough subject, well done!!
ReplyDelete