Merry Christmas everyone! It’s not often that my column is out on an actual day that is recognized for something. This year, I missed Valentine’s Day, Independence Day, Halloween and Thanksgiving, but Christmas Eve is upon us and here we are, together again.
I can only guess where you are right now, but I can tell you that as you read these words, I am at my parents’ house in Amherst. With any luck, I’ve slept late and am now sipping a cup of coffee, munching on one of my mother’s famous blueberry muffins (fresh out of the oven) and peering out the backyard window in the hopes of seeing some interesting birds.
In my family, the Christmas tradition has everyone gathered around the tree on Christmas morning to hand out presents, but I know that there are other families that exchange gifts on Christmas Eve. While I still plan to give my family their gifts tomorrow morning, I want to offer this column as a gift to one of my readers today. So, Nancy, this one’s for you.
At this very moment, outside in our yards, a bird that is something of a recent arrival is likely to be skulking around the edges of our lives. This bird is a small bundle of energy that reminds me of the avian equivalent of a red squirrel; brassy, sassy and full of life. This bird sometimes sings in the winter and whenever it arrives at your feeder, it will captivate you with its presence. The bird I am speaking of is the Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus).
I’ve been birding since I was a small child. The formal birding didn’t begin until I went to college, but I have pretty clear memories of the birds that visited the feeders at my childhood home in Amherst. I remember the amazing sights of huge flocks of evening grosbeaks that appeared in the late 1970s, and I remember the chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, blue jays and cardinals that sat in the feeder by the family room window. I have absolutely no memories of Carolina wrens from those days.
I keep a collection of field guides that serve as snapshots of avian distributions over the years. One such book is the 1980 fourth edition of the “Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America” (eastern birds), featuring a range map for the Carolina wren that shows western Massachusetts to be devoid of the species. But a 2006 fifth edition of National Geographic’s “Field Guide to the Birds of North America” shows a map with Massachusetts shaded in with purple. The range of this species appears to be expanding.
If a new species had to be added to our list of birds, the Carolina wren is a wonderful addition. The largest member of its family found in our area, the Carolina wren is about the same size as a black-capped chickadee or a tufted titmouse. However, the wren’s tail is somewhat shorter and its body is plumper and rounder, so I think the wren might be the “bigger” bird.
As with other members of its family, the Carolina wren has the habit of holding its short tail up at a right angle to the rest of its body. To me, a wren with its tail pointed skyward is simply the most charming sight to behold, and even as I write these words I am chuckling at the thought. The arrival of a wren, with it’s tail held at attention, is truly something to behold.
Carolina wrens are cavity nesters, which means they seek out secret nooks and crannies that they can stuff with soft grasses and plant fibers to make a warm nest for their chicks. Woodpecker holes are an obvious resource for them, but they will also make use of other interesting places they discover. One such place was brought to my attention in 2016.
My good friend, Merry Cushing, made sure I came down to her house to see a Carolina wren nest that had been built inside a wreath that was hanging on the side of her house. The image was just like something you might find on a nature-themed Christmas card. After discovering the nest, my friend simply didn’t have the heart to take down the decoration, so the presence of wrens extended the spirit of Christmas that year.
If you have Carolina wrens at your house and you find yourself searching for something that will encourage them to stick around, then I have only one thing to say to you — peanuts! Carolina wrens love peanuts and if you load up a “woodpecker” feeder with shelled, roasted peanuts, you will have very happy wrens indeed.
I hope that you are as happy and content as a wren with a peanut. I hope that you are safe and warm, and enjoying the company of friends and loved ones. I hope that you have a very Merry Christmas and that you are able to join me again next week for New Year’s Eve.
Bill Danielson has been a professional writer and nature photographer for 21 years. He has worked for the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service and Massachusetts State Parks, and currently teaches high school biology and physics. Visit speakingofnature.com for more information, or go to Speaking of Nature on Facebook.