I made a quick trip up to the Lower Klamath Wildlife Refuge this week and as usual it was teeming with photo opportunities. I met a friend from the Medford area there Wednesday morning and we had a great time driving the roads, hiking and taking pictures like mad women.
While we did find the usual, bald eagles, coyotes and massive rafts of snow geese, I was really captivated by this tiny bird I have never seen before; the Canyon Wren. We visited Petroglyph Point, and sheer walled cliff area on the refuge famous for, you guessed it, petroglyphs. There are a lot of nesting raptors in the walls of the cliff but it was this tiny wren with a powerful song that I was determined to get a photo of.
These wrens live all over the West but somehow I have never run across it. I will be seeking it out locally here over the next few weeks. We must have them somewhere nearer to me than Klamath. I don’t think I have ever heard it’s distinctive song before. Anyway, they like to live in sheer walled cliffs and rocky areas are fairly widespread across the Western U.S. They have a very long bill as you can see and they find their prey by poking into the rocks and cracks. They find and eat spiders and insects. Anything that rids the world of spiders is an ally of mine!
Northern Desert Photography 
Very similar to the Carolina Wren here in Central VA. Love this little bird with the big voice!
Yes! The song that comes out of this tiny bird is very powerful. Thanks for visiting and commenting. 🙂
Beautiful!!
Thanks!
Excellent. Your write-up was very interesting and added a lot to the images. I always learn something from your posts! Wrens are a spring/summer favorite of mine too (House Wrens here). They occupy several of the nest boxes in my brushy fields as well as those at the edge of the lawn and garden. Bug-eating machines with a beautiful song! Thanks, and happy hunting.
Thanks Nick. I try to find out about the subjects I am photographing and share. 🙂 I just love wrens and other tiny birds. We have several species here that I will attempt to get some photos of this spring with this longer lens. Rock wrens and Bewicks might be species you have not seen. Hoping that spring and spring birds find you soon.
Magnificent! Well captured!
Thank you for stopping in and commenting. 🙂
Fantastic captures
Thanks Boeta!
So how’s that new lens doing? I looked it up on B&H Photo site and now am drooling also….price is awfully tempting.
Give in to temptation. I am loving it. 🙂
beautiful!
Thank you Sally. 🙂
Hi, Alison. I am so glad you are enjoying that Tamron. I love your wren pics. I only saw a Canyon Wren once, I got a good shot, and that was before I really got into serious birding. Now I realize how lucky I was to get that image. I haven’t seen one of those wrens since. By the way, what picture style do you use in your 7D Mark II. Just curious. I am still experimenting. 🙂
Hi Bob, thanks for stopping in! I have seen many Rock Wrens over the years but this is my first Canyon Wren. I am now on a quest to find more. I am using Landscape as suggested by a friend. 🙂
I use Landscape, too. I tried others but I like the colors more with this. They seem a bit more vivid.
Aw, thanks for sharing! Wrens are the most cheerful birds with the most amazing voice, especially considering their size (although, if memory serves, the Canyon Wren is larger than our East Coast varieties, I think…)
Thanks for visiting and commenting Lori. Yes, I love the wrens. They are so feisty! 🙂