[obol] Wrentit

[Mike Patterson]

Wrentits are a fascinating species with a more than superficial
resemblance to Bushtits.  But there are behavioral charactersistics
that are going to set bells off for most of us who've be watching
birds for a while.  The birds in your photo look like Bushtits 
to me. 

http://home.pacifier.com/~neawanna/temp/wren_bush_comp.JPG

The likelihood of a pair Wrentits turn up in
a Portland yard is inversely proportional to the distance to the
closest Wrentit habitat.  Wrentits don't migrate so much as they 
spill out from the closest adjacent habitat.  They move from shrub
to shrub to shrub.  If they have to fly more than a couple hundred
feet in the open to get to the next shrub, they'll stay put.  If 
moving requires being more than a couple meters up above the floor, 
they'll stay put.  Wrentits are very cautious.

And I have every confidence that we will get a slew of anecdotes
about brave little Wrentits in atypical places, now.

Wrentits are about 50% larger than Bushtits, mostly brown with
paler breasts and some gray in the face.  Bushtits twitter, Wrentits
rasp.  If you own a socket wrench with a rachet you can get a
reasonalble approximation of Wrentits calls by giving it a couple
turns.



Seth Reams wrote:
> 
> I posted the 3 awful pics of the suspected Wrentits here
> http://portlandbirds.blogspot.com/ I don't think anyone will be able to see much but I
> thought I would try. Thanks to all who responded with questions and suggestions.
> 
> Seth and Michelle
> NE Portland - Gateway area
> 


-- 
Mike Patterson               
Astoria, OR                    
celata at pacifier.com  
 
Gull, you really got me going
http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/mbalame/archives/2008/01/gull20080105.html