Canyon Wren...Annual January Challenge

Field trip #2 for the new year; target is the Canyon Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) at Kootenai Creek trailhead (Bitterroot National Forest). Met up with Wayne Tree, dean of the Bitterroot Valley birding community, at the trailhead. Finding the wren is a great challenge every year; meltwater thundering down the canyon is loud, making it difficult to hear the beautiful song/metallic callnote:

Wayne and I arrived at 1:03 pm, mostly sunny, 33F and calm... usually perfect conditions for finding the wren. Just a short couple hundred yard walk up the trail, usually icy...not this year, and you're at the spot. The spot is at the base of the rockface that looks like:

Once at the spot you assume the position...the "warbler neck" position, you birders know - look up at the rockface like so (Wayne Tree modeling the pose):

And so, for as long as it takes, you look and listen. Today, we struck out in finding the Canyon Wren. However, we still profited by the fresh air, challenge and the aesthetics:

Get outside and discover something wild!