Speaking of birds: this is a Brown Treecreeper. I have been trying to find one of these for two years. Every time I check what birds have been seen in an area I’m traveling to and see a treecreeper on the list, it becomes one of the goals for that trip. Until December 2022, nothing.
Then, late in December, this shows up.
This is the only photo I got of a Golden-crowned Kinglet. Smallest passerine (songbird-type bird) in North America, related to the Ruby-crowned Kinglets I absolutely adore, and one I’ve been looking for even more intently for, again, a couple of years now. After two years of no dice, I looked out the window on the way down to breakfast, and this was in a tree not 10 feet away. I actually gasped out loud and covered my mouth- couldn’t believe it at first. Had to double-check the markings.
Ran for my camera, went outside, and immediately another one showed up and they chased each other out of my yard. Spent 45 minutes trying to find them, with no luck. But, hey, at least I saw this one! I’ll have to try hunting for more.
I put this little darling on this post because, the very next day, I look out a different window while getting breakfast, and:
Brown Treecreeper. Another “oh, that can’t possibly be- it IS” moment, another run for the camera, and this one was nice enough to stick around! I got rained on, and I did not care. Precious little thing.
Apparently, my 2022 Christmas present was two bird deliveries. Half-expected something else to show up the day afterward, but, sadly, pattern recognition doesn’t guarantee that the pattern continues.
This is why I keep my camera by the back door. Every now and then, it pays off big-time.
