I like the many contrasts between these two images of Marsh Wrens taken at Bear River MBR 4 days ago.
1/2500, f/6.3 ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
In so many ways this shot is typical of many (if not most) of my Marsh Wren images. The bird is singing (they almost never shut up), it’s buried deep within the habitat it prefers, its foot-grasp on the reeds gives it a comical, spread-eagle pose and framing of the image (portrait or landscape) is a bit of a conundrum because the birds orientation is horizontal but the dominant green stems are vertical.
Typical or not (and despite the fact that part of its rump is hidden) I like the shot.
1/2500, f/8, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, stem poking into bottom of frame removed, not baited, set up or called in
But this image is a bit unusual for me with its clean background, graphic lines that aren’t vertical and the wren actually has its beak closed. I like the way the bird is lined up with the perch and the composition.
My best opportunities with Marsh Wrens are nearly always at Bear River. As I drive the loop road with my windows down this time of year their incessant, cacophonous singing from just a few feet away seems to fill the cab of my pickup but getting a clear shot of one of the little skulkers is another story. More often than not I return home wren-skunked so I was happy to get a few shots of them that I like earlier this week.
Ron
Addendum: In response to the comment below by Dave Sparks (and my response to him) I thought I’d add a photo of the skunk that I took on the same morning as these wrens. I realize it’s completely unrelated but you never know where these blog post comment threads will lead and besides, it’s stormy outside and I have nothing better to do (that I feel like doing…)
That reminds me of my skunk,Citronella (Nellie, for short) only she had more white,esp. on her head and tail….Nellie had been “fixed” when I got her, but she still didn’t smell much like a rose…esp. her poop. She loved worms, grubs, grasshoppers, hot dogs and dog food….
Citronella, I like that name for a skunk, Patty.
Chuckling here. I have rather a lot of things which I am almost totally disinclined to tackle here this morning.
Your exotica (because both the wren and the skunk ARE exotic to me) is much more to my taste.
Love the character which glows from that first wren shot. And am in awe at its balance. My mouth would be open too, but it wouldn’t be song issueing from my lips…
I’d never thought of that, EC, though I guess it’s logical that you wouldn’t have skunks in Australia. I don’t suppose there are any marsupials that have filled that smelly niche?
Man is probably our smelliest marsupial…
I don’t know…the skunk and the wren have a very similar tail set. 😀 I love watching the little Carolina Wrens. One studiously stalked my camp chair on my patio. She thought the mesh cup holder looked like a good nesting spot. I had to go out several times to discourage her. The cats thought it looked like a food truck! 😀
“I don’t know…the skunk and the wren have a very similar tail set”
Good point, Arwen.
I love the first image – it’s just totally goofy. And I would like to point out that the wren’s tail being vertical pushes the orientation in favor of portrait (IMO), because the body of the bird is the only thing horizontal in the image. The second shot is very nice with its clear background, but it doesn’t show the bird’s personality the way the first one does. Also love the inclusion of the skunk.
“The second shot is very nice with its clear background, but it doesn’t show the bird’s personality the way the first one does”
Agreed, Susan. I think it has other strengths but that’s very true.
Glad you enjoyed the skunk, out of place as it is…
Two wonderful shots…the second one, with the beak actually closed(!!!!!) has got to be ,a once-in-a-lifetime shot….wrens NEVER shut up!!! The first is a wren classic…real ESSENCE OF WREN!!! You can tell that tiny bird is going full blast!!! For a change, I’m actually, vejry, very glad your blog doesn’t come with sound……the incessant, loud, repetitive sound of our wrens drives me nuts! …especially House wrens, on a really hot day!!! I like tye Carolina wrens a lot better….
Patty, I love their in your face attitude but I have to admit that eventually their “song” can get a little grating…
Patty, out at Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site we have Rock Wrens and Canyon Wrens. Not sure I’ve ever heard sound out of the Rock Wren, but the Canyon Wrens use the rock formations to make their voices even louder. Fortunately, their song is a beautiful cascade that we never get tired of. Actually, the rock squirrels also use the rock acoustics to their advantage when sending out warning signals. My first Wren experiences were with Carolina Wrens and I was always impressed with how big their voices are. Never got tired of them, either.
I agree with you about the distinctive song of the Canyon Wren, Susan. Their descending trill always gives me a thrill 🙂
Canyon wrens are famous for their beautiful song…the song of the House wren isn’t really so bad, just very repetative and incessant…after a while it gets on my nerves….
Wow! the first one is classic and you forgot to mention the tail perpendicular to the perch in the second one.
FYI, I got 19,600 results for my google search on wren-skunked including a recipe sent to a woman named Wren for a substance to put on her dog that had been sprayed by a skunk.
1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide (any drug store or WalMart)
1/4 cup baking soda
1 teasp. liquid soap
Mix and use to shampoo any pet or person. Rinse with plain water.
It won’t “keep” and can’t be stored.
You had me laughing out loud with that one again, Dave. Thanks for that!
I really should mix up a batch of that stuff (though I do see that you say it won’t keep). On the same morning I took these wren photos I closely approached a Striped Skunk with my shorter lens to try to get some decent photos in the tall grass (I wasn’t very successful and only kept one image). I’ve had quite a bit of experience approaching skunks safely but there’s no guarantees, especially if they spray and the mist drifts in the breeze onto you. If I do that often enough eventually I’ll pay the price.
When I was a kid (probably 15) I had a terrible skunk experience on the Montana farm (long story short). During harvest I was driving the combine. Dad told me how to avoid running a skunk through the combine (they’d hide under the windrows of swathed grain) but you had to pay close attention to avoid them. My mind wandered and that’s exactly what I did. A skunk run through a combine is not a pretty sight or smell. He’d warned me that if I did so it would be me cleaning out the combine and not him (grain elevators will not accept “skunky” grain).
I spent what seemed like an eternity inside the guts of that huge machine that was saturated with skunk parts and spray. I can’t believe that I didn’t add a vomit component to the mix- it was very close but I didn’t.
Never ran another skunk through a combine either!
My sister and I (and now a number of friends) have used that recipe when our dogs have been skunked. I can attest to its effectiveness. It’s quite remarkable. We got the recipe from the Mythbusters after they did an episode on various skunk remedies. Now we always keep the ingredients on hand for those emergency moments (they tend to happen between 2:00 and 4:00am around here). BTW. Your wrens are beautiful.
That is a “one-trial learning” experience. I’ve seen a few skunks while hiking birding trails, but was not inclined to treat those sightings as photo-ops.
C’mon, Dave – live dangerously once in a while! Must admit, I’m much more careful with them now than I used to be…
You don’t have to keep the stuff…just have the ingredients on hand and an empty plastic gal or half gal,. bottle on hand…packed in a take-along SEK (Skunk Emegency Kit)???
I’ve used the same mix on my dogs…much better than ANY commercial product …certainly better than tomato juice, although making yourself a couple of Bloody Mary’s might help (just don’t bathe the dog in the stuff)
Ron, the first pic made my day happy. Anyone who cannot smile looking at it is sad indeed. Wish I could hear it sing real time. Maybe new technology will include sound with photo all available on “smart” phones.
Thanks
Making you happy makes me happy, Diana.
One of the better phone apps for ID AND bird songs is iBird Pro and it’s on sale right now for $14.99. Link below if you’re interested.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ibird-pro-guide-to-birds/id308018823?mt=8
Man those are fantastic shots Ron!! Just wonderful clarity, I am very envious of you being able to drive by these places with windows down to get the exceptional shots that you do. And to top it off you have this Wren perfectly staged on a stalk of Soft Rush, Common Rush, Juncus effusus! Just a great job.
Thanks for the ID, Dick. This old biologist never took strongly to the botany component of my college major and I’m often frustrated by my relative incompetence in that area when I’m in the field.
And yes, I’m lucky (and appreciative) of the fact that I can so often shoot from my pickup rather than lugging a tripod and my heavy lens all over the place. A bad back makes that problematic after just a short time.
Sensational shots Ron! Thanks for sharing!
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte.
Very nice Ron! Boy can they open their beaks!
They sure can, Nancy. Just writing this post with their photos staring at me made me hear their “song” in my head…