THIS WEEK’S THEME: LIFE ON THE TRUNK
Five encounters from a morning spent photograpFive birds from five different families that have each evolved a remarkably similar way of searching tree trunks for food.hing the birds visiting my sister’s backyard feeding station in Fairfield Bay, Arkansas.
Scientific names
Certhia brachydactyla
Taxonomic groups
Certhiidae — Treecreepers
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A photograph is worth a thousand words, but the story makes it worth a few more.
BACKSTORY
I discovered this little guy the day after my birthday while slowly making my way around the trees at the end of the pond at Étang de l’Ursine in France. I first heard its high-pitched, barely audible call, which immediately reminded me of the familiar Brown Creepers back home in California. I had previously photographed a Eurasian Treecreeper in England, so when I spotted this bird working its way up a trunk, I initially assumed it was another of the same.
Then I got Merlin dialed in to my location and it immediately shouted, “New species for you, Jim! Get your camera ready!” Okay, it didn’t actually say that—but it repeatedly identified Short-toed Treecreeper as the bird continued calling, flying to the base of one tree, creeping its way upward, and then moving on to repeat the routine on the next.
IMAGE DETAILS
LOCATION INFORMATION: Étang de l’Ursine, Vélizy-Villacoublay, Yvelines, Île-de-France, France · March 26, 2024
EQUIPMENT INFORMATION: Canon EOS R5 · Canon RF 100–500mm + RF 1.4x Extender
SETTINGS INFORMATION: 500mm · ƒ/9 · 1/100 sec · ISO 3200