| Photo Information |
Copyright: Mish PM (Finland_in_Eton)
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 156 W: 23 N: 225]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-s-g.gif) (876) |
| Genre: Animals |
| Medium: Color |
| Date Taken: 2007-07-14 |
| Categories: Birds |
| Camera: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 |
| Exposure: f/3.6, 1/50 seconds |
| More Photo Info: [view] |
| Photo Version: Original Version |
| Date Submitted: 2007-07-17 4:09 |
| Viewed: 718 |
| Points: 14 |
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
I had the pleasure of watching this fledgling wren for the better part of half a day while out fishing this past weekend. It must have been the itchiest little bird around because it was constantly on the woodland path taking dust baths. I took numerous photos, but on the path it was too far for any decent photos. However the shots were good enough to show that it was literally putting it's head down, like a dog, and rolling in the dirt as well as flattening itself, belly down, flapping it's wings and/or scratching with it's feet. Quite an amazing performance, and quite entertaining.
In between dust baths it would hop up into the underbrush and bounce around, sometimes close enough for me to get a few relatively good shots... if the sun and clouds were being cooperative. Unfortunately in the best of them there is a twig cutting across in front of the body. But, it didn't respond well to directional cues from me, so I had to make do. :-)
There was also a robin fledgling flitting around on the path and in the trees. It's no wonder there is such a high mortality rate among fledglings, they are much less cautious than adult birds. In a more urban environment where cats prevail these two would have been easy pickings.
Post processing, in Paint Shop Pro Photo XI, included cropping down so the wee little birdie wasn't lost in the undergrowth, adjusting the color via the color fade tool and the contrast/brightness levels with the clarify tool.
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The following is from the RSPB website:
Latin name
Troglodytes troglodytes
Family
Wrens (Troglodytidae)
Overview
The wren is a tiny brown bird, although it is heavier, less slim, than the even smaller goldcrest. It is dumpy, almost rounded, with a fine bill, quite long legs and toes, very short round wings and a short, narrow tail which is sometimes cocked up vertically. For such a small bird it has a remarkably loud voice. It is the commonest UK breeding bird, although it suffers declines during prolonged, severely cold winters.
Where to see them
Found across the UK in a wide range of habitats - woodland, farmland, heathland, moorland and islands. Most are found in deciduous woodland but it is least abundant in Scotland and northern England, with the smallest numbers found in upland areas. A regular visitor to most gardens.
When to see them
All year round.
What they eat
Insects and spiders
Estimated numbers
Europe UK breeding - 7.6 million territories
UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually.
And this additional information from the Encyclopaedia Britannica on line:
Wren - family name Troglodytidae, any of 59 species of small, chunky, brownish birds (order Passeriformes). The family originated in the Western Hemisphere and only one species, Troglodytes troglodytes, which breeds circumpolarly in temperate regions, has spread to the Old World. This species is called the winter wren in North America; in Eurasia it is known simply as the wren.
Wrens hunt insects in marshes, rocky wastes, or shrubbery. They reveal their presence by chatter and loud song. Many species nest in holes; some build domed structures in thickets or on ledges. The female lines the nest with soft materials and lays 2 to 10 eggs. There may be three or four broods yearly. |
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