Birds and Nature

The top pic shows a Brown Creeper with some food it found in the crevices of the bark of the tree on which it was foraging. When I enlarge the pic the food item appears to have tiny legs-maybe a small spider?? The bottom pic shows the cinnamon wash found on the rear scapulars and on the distal part of the otherwise white underparts visible below the wings. SeEtta

I first heard Brown Creeper high-pitched calls then found two Brown Creepers following each other from tree to tree as they worked their way up, probing for insects and larvae. It is noted in Birds of North America online that "pair formation takes place by Feb or early Mar, probably before territory establishment" for this species. SeEtta

Another cool little Brown Creeper blending in with dark bark this time. SeEtta

Look closely--even though the bark on this tree is mostly white, this Brown Creeper still blends in. SeEtta

While waiting for the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in the post below to settle down, I spotted this Brown Creeper working a conifer. I watched very quietly while it worked up and down the trunk of the tree. It has a little residue from probing around the tree bark. SeEtta

These pics are also what I consider intimate views, this time of a Brown Creeper as it probing between the bark of a conifer. Again I am hand-holding the camera--I can't imagine getting these shots if I had to use a tripod as I was under the canopy of the conifer and had to adjust my position quickly as the creeper moved over and under the branches it was working on. Besides lots of small branches in my way, the other big challenge was that it was dark inside the canopy. I think the bottom pic with the view from behind the creeper provides wonderful detail of the feathers on the upperparts of the bird. Double click on each pic for some really close-up views--the detail that shows of the wing feathers is especially good. SeEtta

Unlike the Cedar Waxwings which come and go during the irruptions, and the migrating Hermit Thrush, both American Kestrels and Brown Creepers are year-round resident species in the Canon City area as well as much of Colorado. I photographed this Am Kestrel on the grounds of the Canon City Abbey, apparently a favorite hunting area for this bird as I have seen it there a number of times in the past few week. The Brown Creeper was foraging actively at the Canon City Riverwalk in the company of a second creeper, an association that I often see with this species in the fall. SeEtta