BIRDS OF NANTUCKET
"NO SEE-UM" BIRDS GRADUATE-LEVEL BIRDING
by Kenneth Turner Blackshaw
In late September 2006 I returned from a "birder's trip of a lifetime" to Attu Island at the western end of the Aleutian Island Chain, almost in Russia. As I reflected on bird species that are found both on that island and Nantucket, one that surprised me was this week's bird. I love to see birds whose Latin names are 'doubles,' that is, the genus and species names are the same and this is one of them Troglodytes troglodytes, both names meaning 'cave dweller.'

Winter Wren

Obviously this name can't be taken too literally since there are few caves in this huge pile of sand and pebbles we call home. These birds build their own cave-like nests often in the labyrinthine nooks and crannies created by the massive root structure of a fallen tree. Frequently the males build five or six extra ones as decoys but only the one his mate chooses actually gets its lining installed.

Americans know this bird as the Winter Wren, a bird with a fascinating species history. The wren family is a large one with over 70 species and scientists tell us it originated in the new world. In Europe and Asia there is but one species that is simply known as the 'wren.' Of all the wren species this is the only one to have ventured across the Bering Land Bridge during an early ice age and colonize that whole area. And yes, it is good old Troglodytes troglodytes, the same species I found hiding in the tall grass on Attu.

Your first thought might be that in order for a creature to be such an intrepid explorer it would have to be a large, powerful, strong-flying sort of beast. Even more the paradox because we have the ultimate Little Brown Job (LBJ) here. Winter Wrens are among the smallest of our birds at only four inches from beak to tail. In reality they are quite 'tail challenged,' their tiny stub of rear feathering is ludicrously small. But they make the most of what they have, often keeping it cocked vertically over their back. From a flight standpoint we hardly ever see them fly more than a few feet, yet many of them fly across a lot of water to get to Nantucket.

These birds are brown, lighter below and becoming dusky towards the stern with barring underneath. I describe this bird here mainly to frustrate you since your chance of actually seeing one is remote. It's not that they're scarce. I could probably take you out and find one for you on any winter morning at the Lily Pond, but seeing it? That's why we call this 'graduate-level' birding.

I remember birding with the legendary Samuel Eliot in western Massachusetts back in the early '60s. It was he who pointed out that if I heard a Song Sparrow doubling its call note I was really hearing a Winter Wren. At that point I still hadn't ever seen one. Griscom and Folger's "Birds of Nantucket" left little hope, showing just a single record for the island in 1930.

So the key to finding Winter Wrens is listening. I was amazed when birding years later in the spring along the Chattahoochee River just north of Atlanta. One day the woods just exploded with song - high pitched trilling, up, down, holding - the notes going on for more than five seconds. I hadn't expected that coming to Georgia would produce my first Winter Wren experience. Even so with scores of them around us, they were still very difficult to see. Then I did my homework. Georgia is where many of them go for the winter.

This wren has an amazing title for one so small and puny - "The King of the Birds!" European folklore says there was a huge competition amongst all the birds as to who could fly the highest. The eagle was sure to win and he soared high in the sky to his limits. Suddenly the wren that had been hiding in his feathers sprang up and flew even higher, winning the contest. Perhaps the eagle had been feeling magnanimous towards its tiny relative.

We are getting much better at finding these tiny LBJs on Nantucket. There had been none on our Christmas Bird Counts until 1986 but they've been found almost every year since then with a high of 13 in 1999. If you have bird boxes they may be using them to roost in. One box in Washington State was found with 31 sleeping wrens inside.

We may find Winter Wrens on Nantucket until early May. As spring progresses you may hear that wonderful tinkling song. For its weight this 'no seeum' bird delivers 10 times the volume of a crowing rooster. If you actually get to see one, you can apply for your birding

Master's degree. I

George C. West creates illustrations for these articles. If you enjoy 'social' birding, join the Nantucket Bird Club at 8 a.m. Sundays in front of Nantucket High School for a two to three hour birding trip. Call 228-1693 for more information. To hear about rare birds, or to leave a bird report call the Massachusetts Audubon hot line at 1-781-259-8805. Ask Ken a question at: kenandcindy1@comcast. net.