17 December 07
Wrentit
Not so often do we get into the chaparral where wrentits live. We saw lots yesterday during our Christmas Bird Count hike up Thompson Canyon. They are like balls of fluff with no apparent distinction between head and body with a long tail which they swish about from left to right as they move through dense vegetation.
I was able to watch them for some time as I rested my feet while Numenius did a final trek up to a spring to see if he could find a pileated woodpecker (no luck). My sketches don’t show the different subtle color changes from head, back and wings (grayish brown) to chin and belly (reddish brown) or the yellow irises. I may try and head back to some chaparral over the holiday break and do more of a “portrait” — taking along some watercolors and perhaps a camera to get some reference shots. I balk at the camera but for a bird that spends short 10-second bursts out in the open it might be useful.
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Ya know, it’s funny – pileateds are usually all over the mountain, but we couldn’t turn up a one for the CBC on Saturday!
I’ll look forward to your watercolors. This bird sounds intriguing.