Barnum Community United Methodist Church

A United Methodist Church serving Barnum and the surrounding communities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Planet Earth

By Bernice Olson

In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.                                                                                                                                                      

Robert Lynd (1879-1949)                                                                                                                Irish journalist

           Brown creeper ~ a small, slim, woodland bird with streaked brown back and white underside.  A common bird much smaller than a sparrow and generally solitary ~ seeing one is a big treat.  Their coloring makes them well camouflaged while hunting for food on the trees.  Their calls and songs are very high “tree notes” ~ if you hear them you are not ready for a hearing aid.  You see the bird’s motion more than the bird because they spend 79% of their foraging time on the move. 

           Creepers have slender, curved bills and stiff tails used as a prop when climbing trees ~ and climbing is what they do over and over again looking for insects, spiders and their eggs.  They will climb a tree like a spiral staircase, then fly to the base of the next tree.

 

The Brown Creeper is the only species of treecreepers in North America and will nest well into Central America.  It is a permanent resident of northeastern Minnesota and a winter visitor in virtually all of the U.S.

 

They prefer a habitat of old-growth and mature forests and build their nests behind loose pieces of bark on dead or dying trees.  The nest is hammock shaped and constructed with twigs and bark shreds ~ quite an engineering feet.

 

It is indeed a treat to see this small elusive bird with its very quiet voice and the coloring of tree bark.  Silence and sharp eyes are keys to successfully see the Brown Creeper ~ Good Luck!!