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Painted

1912

Published

1929

Volume

12

Plate

722-722a-722b

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Winter Wren

Nannus hiemalis hiemalis

DESCRIPTION

The blight which destroyed our chestnut trees brot some benefit to winter birds in its devastating course. The bark clung to the dead trunks for years and many grubs and insects hibernated beneath.

I was on the hill one November morning, "working up" next year's wood pile. The low slanting sun rays fell warmly into the sheltered nook and Otter Brook chirruped with Spring loquacity. Except when starting the nick, swinging the ax has become automatic, and lines from half forgotten poems separated from the skein of thot:

"Soon the royal splendor of November
Will wasted be, the leaves to ashes burn,
And her few lingering warblers will remember
The spell of silence and grow taciturn."

Coat followed jacket lying on a stump — smoke from the old briar drifted alee in the faint air — ax strokes returned from the cliff with but slightly diminished intensity. Between ringing blows I heard the double parted trill of a WINTER WREN. I knew from experiences in Maine lumber camps that the little brown elf followed up ax sounds so I did not stop chopping. Each repetition of "the wild, sweet melody" sounded nearer and soon the three inch music-box was burrowing into the bark of a down chestnut within six feet of me. The ax was relieved from duty then and I sat on the tree where he was dining. Presently he came to a spot of resistant bark scarcely a yard away. The strip extended to my hand. Would it scare him off if I twisted it open? Not a scare! Into the opening he dove, gobbled two fat grubs, then sat on his comical uptilted tail and thanked me with his sweet rendering of the high notes of a miniature bagpipe.

A nor'west squall swept down over Buffalo Mountain with a sudden swirl of snow gusts but my Pyxie friend and I sat it out. He sang as cheerily and hunted as busily as in the sunlit peace preceding the outburst.

Salutamus Hiemalis! Sitting there on that November day I realized that you possessed in your indomitable little heart two virtues man has sought forever — courage and the will to "play the game" in storm or sunshine.

Among "the things I do with myself in the country" is visiting the workshop and releasing any birds who have used it for sleeping or hunting. The Fall and Winter of '28 and '29 have been remarkably mild — unequaled in a half century's remembrance, and one of these birds has remained here all season. I have escorted him to the shop door three times and nearly every morning when I go on the porch for a stove log his cheery chee-chee-chee-e-e-e greets me out of the dim dawn.

I do not see him often but when he hears movement outside the house, thin call notes from a hidden nook announce his presence. "Good morning — another day — what you goin' to do with it?"

"Write about you — you silly little imp — sticking around these cold New England rocks when you could be in Miami."

BREEDING

NEST in stump cavities or among roots of upturned trees. Built of small twigs, plant stems, moss and lichens, closely woven and warmly lined with moss, fur, hair and feathers, leaving only a small circular entrance.

EGGS: 5 to 8, creamy white, minutely dotted with reddish brown and lavender.

RANGE

Eastern United States and Canada. Breeding south (in mountains) to Massachusetts, New York, Michigan and Wisconsin; rarely to northern Indiana, Illinois and central Iowa and thru higher altitudes of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia to western North Carolina. Winters from southern breeding limit to northern Florida and along Gulf coast to Texas.

Western Winter Wren

Nannus hiemalis pacificus

DESCRIPTION

On seaward shoulders of the Cascades, looking down on Puget Sound, there are reaches of virgin forests which have never been logged or touched by fire. For centuries seawinds have loaded them with moisture — the long days of Northern summers have filled their dim recesses with a tropic growth of fern, vine, maple and briar. There are mountain torrents and quiet pools where rainbow trout play undisturbed. There are vistas from some folds in the hills which end with distant seashine westward and of snows to the north which never melt. There in the dim forest paths between impenetrable jungles of moss covered fallen tree-paths as old as the great firs, the WESTERN WINTER WRENS live and sing. —Churchill.

BREEDING

RANGE

Western North America. Breeds from Prince William Sound, Alaska and western Alberta south to central California and northern Colorado. Winters in southern British Columbia, south to southern California and southern New Mexico.

Kadiak Winter Wren

Nannus hiemalis helleri

DESCRIPTION

BREEDING

RANGE

Kadiak Island, Alaska.

Black Willow

Salix lasiandra

DESCRIPTION

A tree up to 50 feet high, distributed on river banks and moist locations in California, Oregon, Washington and southern British Columbia.

winter-wren-western-winter-wren-kadiak-winter-wren
cactus-wren-bryant-cactus-wren-san-lucas-cactus-wren
Cactus Wren, Bryant Cactus Wren, San Lucas Cactus Wren
713-713a-713b
rock-wren-san-nicolas-rock-wren-guadalupe-rock-wren
Rock Wren, San Nicolas Rock Wren, Guadalupe Rock Wren
715-715a-715b
white-throated-wren-canyon-wren-dotted-canyon-wren
White-Throated Wren, Canyon Wren, Dotted Canyon Wren
717-717a-717b
carolina-wren-florida-wren-lomita-wren
Carolina Wren, Florida Wren, Lomita Wren
718-718a-718b
bewick-wren-vigor-wren-baird-wren
Bewick Wren, Vigor Wren, Baird Wren
719-719a-719b
san-clemente-wren-guadalupe-wren
San Clemente Wren, Guadalupe Wren
719.1-720
texas-wren-san-diego-wren-seattle-wren
Texas Wren, San Diego Wren, Seattle Wren
719c-719d-719e
house-wren-western-house-wren
House Wren, Western House Wren
721-721a
winter-wren-western-winter-wren-kadiak-winter-wren
Winter Wren, Western Winter Wren, Kadiak Winter Wren
722-722a-722b
alaska-wren-aleutain-wren
Alaska Wren, Aleutian Wren
723-723.1
short-billed-marsh-wren
Short-Billed Marsh Wren
724
long-billed-marsh-wren-tule-wren
Long-Billed Marsh Wren, Tule Wren
725-725a
worthington-marsh-wren-western-marsh-wren-prairie-marsh-wren-marian-marsh-wren
Worthington Marsh Wren, Western Marsh Wren, Prairie Marsh Wren, Marian Marsh Wren
725b-725c-725d-725e
brown-creeper-mexican-creeper
Brown Creeper, Mexican Creeper
726-726a
rocky-mountain-creeper-california-creepeer-sierra-creeper
Rocky Mountain Creeper, California Creeper, Sierra Creeper
726b-726c-726d
white-breasted-nuthatch-slender-billed-nuthatch-florida-white-breasted-nuthatch
White-Breasted Nuthatch, Slender-Billed Nuthatch, Florida White-Breasted Nuthatch
727-727a-727b
rocky-mountain-nuthatch-san-lucas-nuthatch
Rocky Mountain Nuthatch, San Lucas Nuthatch
727c-727d
red-breasted-nuthatch
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
728
brown-headed-nuthatch
Brown-Headed Nuthatch
729
pygmy-nuthatch-white-naped-nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch, White-Naped Nuthatch
730-730a
tufted-titmouse
Tufted Titmouse
731
black-crested-titmouse-sennett-titmouse
Black-Crested Titmouse, Sennett Titmouse
732-732a
plain-titmouse-gray-titmouse-ashy-titmouse
Plain Titmouse, Gray Titmouse, Ashy Titmouse
733-733a-733b
bridled-titmouse
Bridled Titmouse
734
chickadee-long-tailed-chickadee
Chickadee, Long-Tailed Chickadee
735-735a
oregon-chickadee-yukon-chickadee
Oregon Chickadee, Yukon Chickadee
735b-735c
carolina-chickadee-plumbeous-chickadee-florida-chickadee
Carolina Chickadee, Plumbeous Chickadee, Florida Chickadee
736-736a-736b
mexican-chickadee
Mexican Chickadee
737
mountain-chickadee-bailey-mountain-chickadee
Mountain Chickadee, Bailey Mountain Chickadee
738-738a
alaska-chickadee
Alaska Chickadee
739
hudsonian-chickadee-acadian-chickadee
Hudsonian Chickadee, Acadian Chickadee
740-740a
chestnut-backed-chickadee-california-chickadee-barlow-chickadee
Chestnut-Backed Chickadee, California Chickadee, Barlow Chickadee
741-741a-741b
bushtit-california-bushtit-grinda-bushtit
Bushtit, California Bushtit, Grinda Bushtit
743-743a-743b
lead-colored-bushtit-lloyds-bushtit
Lead Colored Bushtit, Lloyd Bushtit
744–745
verdin-cape-verdin
Verdin, Cape Verdin
746-746a
wrentit-pallid-wrentit
Wrentit, Pallid Wrentit
747-747a
coast-wrentit-ruddy-wrentit
Coast Wrentit, Ruddy Wrentit
747b-747c
golden-crowned-kinglet
Golden-Crowned Kinglet
748
western-goden-crowned-kinglet
Western Golden-Crowned Kinglet
748a
ruby-crowned-kinglet
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
749
sitka-kinglet
Sitka Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
749a
dusky-kinglet
Dusky Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
749b
blue-gray-gnatcatcher-western-gnatcatcher
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Western Gnatcatcher
751-751a
plumbeous-gnatcatcher-black-tailed-gnatcatcher
Plumbeous Gnatcatcher, Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher
752-753
townsends-solitaire
Townsend’s Solitaire
754
wood-thrush
Wood Thrush
755
veery
Veery
756
willow-thrush
Willow Thrush
756a
gray-cheeked-thrush-bicknells-thrush
Gray-Cheeked Thrush, Bicknell’s Thrush
757-757a
russet-backed-thrush
Russet-Backed Thrush
758
olive-backed-thrush
Olive-Backed Thrush
758a
alaska-hermit-thrush
Alaska Hermit Thrush
759
audubons-hermit-thrush
Audubon’s Hermit Thrush
759a
hermit-thrush
Hermit Thrush
759b
dwarf-hermit-thrush-monterey-hermit-thrush-sierra-hermit-thrush
Dwarf Hermit Thrush, Monterey Hermit Thrush, Sierra Hermit Thrush
759c-759d-759e
robin
Robin
761
western-robin-southern-robin
Western Robin, Southern Robin
761a-761b
san-lucas-robin
San Lucas Robin
762
varied-thrush
Varied Thrush
763
northern-varied-thrush
Northern Varied Thrush
763a
wheatear-greenland-wheatear
Wheatear, Greenland Wheatear
765-765a
bluebird
Bluebird
766
azure-bluebird
Azure Bluebird
766a
western-bluebird
Western Bluebird
767
chestnut-backed-bluebird
Chestnut-Backed Bluebird
767a
san-pedro-bluebird
San Pedro Bluebird
767b
mountain-bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
768