Field Notes Update

Brown Creeper in December /  by Todd Henson

Did I see something in that tree?

Did I just see some movement over on that tree?

Well, now I’m not so sure. All I see is bark.

No, wait, there it is again!

Aha! Now I see it. On the side of the tree. I’ve just found a Brown Creeper.

There it is! Now we can see the Brown Creeper.

As you can see in these photos the Brown Creeper does a remarkable job of blending in when its back is to you. Its feathers are a mottled mix of various shades of brown that perfectly match the bark of the trees it spends almost all its time scaling. And when I say scaling, that’s exactly what it does. The Brown Creeper typically starts at the base of a tree, then slowly spirals up the trunk of the tree, sometimes moving out onto branches. When it reaches high enough it flies back down to the bottom of another tree and starts the process all over again.

These little birds in some ways resemble the body shape of nuthatches, which also spend a lot of time on trees. You will see nuthatches hopping up and down tree trunks, but Brown Creepers are most often seen hopping up the tree.

They spend all this time hopping up trees looking for insects, spiders, or their eggs or pupae, hoping to grab a quick meal. And, of course, they will also nest in the tree, often under peeling bark, though I’ve never seen one nesting.

In Northern Virginia Brown Creepers tend to be some of our winter visitors, having migrated south from more northernly climes. We start seeing them in late fall, maybe October or November. Winter is often thought of as the time when the variety of bird species declines locally, leaving less to see. But species like the Brown Creeper help keep things interesting by showing up as many other species are leaving. So there’s always something to see out there.

Have you ever seen a Brown Creeper? They’re found in large portions of North America, but because of their size and camouflaged feather patterns they can be difficult to see. Just look for movement on tree trunks, especially in well established wooded areas. And keep your eye open for that flash of white underside as they spiral around the side of the tree trunk.

Brown Creepers are marvelous little birds.

Posing Belted Kingfisher /  by Todd Henson

A beautiful female Belted Kingfisher posing for the camera

As you can probably tell from its name, the Belted Kingfisher is a bird that hangs out around water where it dives below the surface catching fish. They’re fairly easy to identify, having a very distinctive look, behavior, and sound. You’ll often hear them first, sometimes from a fair distance as they have a loud call. If you follow the sound you may be fortunate to see them hovering over the water or diving below it.

One interesting feature of the Belted Kingfisher is that the female is more colorful than the male, unlike most species where the male is the more colorful one. The female has a beautiful rusty band across her stomach, in contrast with the male who’s chest and stomach are white. They both have a white ring around their neck, and are otherwise blue-gray with a great little crest of feathers atop their head.

A female Belted Kingfisher flicking her tail up

A female Belted Kingfisher with her tail down

I was fortunate this particular female landed very close by, perching atop a bare snag, watching the water below. She was quiet while perched, but exhibited interesting physical behaviors, flicking her tail up and down periodically. You can see this in a couple of the photographs, one showing the tail up and the other showing it down.

These photos were created a number of years ago in mid-October at Huntley Meadows Park in Fairfax County, Virginia. It’s a fantastic wetlands park, home to many different species, and well worth a visit.

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Snapping Turtle Pair in Late August /  by Todd Henson

A pair of Snapping Turtles that appear to be mating in the water. We can see how the male clutches onto the female.

In a recent post we took a look at a small Snapping Turtle hatchling fresh out of the nest. This time we take a look at a pair of adult Snapping Turtles, likely mating. Typically mating occurs in the spring in Virginia, but it can also occur in the fall, as seen in these photos.

I like the interesting patterns of the Snapping Turtles and their reflections.

We only see the male Snapping Turtle clearly in these images, but you can see portions of the female, such as her shell and leg sticking out of the water just under the male. He latches on to her with his claws, which are clearly visible in a couple photos. I don’t know how long this went on for, but the photos in this post span about a 15 minute time frame.

The reflections help create some interesting compositions, here with the male Snapping Turtle angled in the water above the female.

These adults are much larger than the hatchling. Whereas the hatchling’s shell was probably about an inch in length, the adults average 8 - 14 inches and have been seen over 18 inches in Virginia. Factor in their legs, tail, and outstretched head, and they can be quite an imposing sight. But as with most other species, I never tire of them, and I’m always pleased when I have the chance to observe and photograph them.

The male Snapping Turtle peeks its head above the water.

To learn more about Snapping Turtles, especially in Virginia, head over to the Virginia Herpetological Society. They have lots of great info on all sorts of reptiles and amphibians in Virginia.