Brown Creeper. Have you ever had one? It sounded so awful to a friend that she said, "Is this another one of those things that happens to women as they get older, but nobody talks about?" I hadn't thought about it that way until she posed the question. After giving a little chuckle I relieved her tension and assured her it was a bird. Her reply? "I should have known!"
Most people think of robins when they think of the first bird of spring. I see those guys all winter long. I see them in large flocks devouring berries from trees that may have been lucky enough to hold onto them through the fall. Nope, Robins are not my harbinger of spring!
 |
| No! You are not my Spring Harbinger! |
 |
| I cleaned off my counter for you! |
I have a perpetual calendar that goes back about eight years. I have written memorable and noteworthy events on this calendar. I have made a record of births, baptisms, wedding anniversaries and even deaths of loved ones on it. It sits on my kitchen counter and is looking a bit used, but that's a good thing. I have also included spring arrivals and fall departures. Look who had arrived on April 2, 2008.
 |
| SPOILER ALERT!! |
Yesterday I sat on the couch for TWO hours waiting for a brown creeper. That's a long time to just sit. I was just about to give up and start again on April 3 when something fluttered down to the base of a tree. It almost looked like a leaf, but it immediately began "creeping" up the tree.
 |
| He is a hard bird to photograph! |
My harbinger of spring had arrived. It is the sweetest little bird. Difficult to see because he blends in perfectly with the color of my oak trees, he reminds me of a mouse. Why didn't they name it the mouse bird? Anything but "brown creeper" would be a nicer name for this sweet spring friend. It must have been at the end of a very long day of exciting bird names that this guy was named. Poor thing. Let's start a petition to change this guys name to Spring Peeper....Shoot a frog took that name. How about you and I call him, "Certhia americana"? That's his scientific name anyway and I'd rather have that then brown creeper!
I'm off to get my son's drivers license. You can be sure....I'd rather be birding!
It's a cute little thing. Will have to start looking for them. Still hearing my blue jays, but haven't seen one yet. :-(
ReplyDeleteNeed to head out to one of our parks to try to catch sight of one of the eagles; I've not caught a glimpse of one, but have seen others' pics.
I've never heard of a brown creeper before. It sounded to me like some type of weed that would overtake your yard. Glad to know it is much less menacing.
ReplyDeleteYes, hard to photograph! They won't hold still. But their flitting up and around is very cute.
ReplyDelete