Carolina Wren

This morning the first bird sound that greeted us was a Carolina Wren singing and giving many calls. For a moment we thought we were in the South, for that is where we hear so many Carolina Wrens. Bird sound can be so evocative of time and place. But this is New Hampshire and a Carolina Wren is not a common bird here. The wren was loud and busy, hopping all over the garden, on the deck and in the shrubs. It investigated a hummingbird feeder, scolded a lot, then got the House Wren scolding too and a Red-eyed Vireo chimed in from the woodland edge. So there was much commotion and it was very entertaining. We sat, drank coffee, and watched the show.

From these photos you can see this bird looked a little ratty, that's because it's in molt. All birds molt at least once a year, usually in fall. After birds have bred and gotten their young independent, they then change their feathers. In fall you can see many molting birds who look like they are missing some feathers, or who have ragged looking feathers. Look for this now in your yard and appreciate the fact these birds may only get one set of clothes for the year!