Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Brown Creeper
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Brown Creeper
One of the unexpected pleasures of the COVID year has been the opportunity to pay more attention to the birds around our homes. Last week someone mentioned to me a small brown bird he had noticed on a tree outside his window. It had a thin, slightly decurved bill, he said, and he wondered if it might be a wren of some sort. I seriously doubted that possibility, thought a moment, then remembered a bird of similar description that I had spotted on the trunk of a bur oak outside our bedroom that very week: a Brown Creeper (Certhia americana). When I showed my friend the species in a field guide, he agreed that it was the bird he had seen.
Actually, it’s a bit late for Brown Creeper sightings in the Barrington area. They appear most often during spring and fall migration, especially in the months of April and October. But some do linger in this latitude, especially when the temperatures are mild as they have been this fall, and may continue all winter.
The Brown Creeper is well named: it’s brown (with white underparts) and its distinctive habit is to creep up tree trunks in spiral fashion, braced by its long, spiny tail, and foraging in bark crevices for insects. Once it has crept sufficiently far – and I’m not sure how that is determined! – it flies to the base of a nearby tree trunk and starts the process all over again.
It is so very easy to miss the bird. It is cryptically colored, that is, it bears plumage that gives it excellent camouflage against the trunk of a tree. Over the years I have developed a special affection for the species because the challenge of spotting it makes success especially sweet. This year I have seen more creepers than I ever recall. I doubt that it’s a matter of a larger population, but rather that I am paying more attention to bird activity.
Birds of Barrington – Brown Creeper (Certhia Americana)
Two family encounters with Brown Creepers are rooted in my memory. The first occurred when our son was two. He was mastering words that began with b – baby, boy, ball, bird. He pointed out the window from his seat in a high chair one morning to a nearby tree. An uncle who was in the room asked, “What is it, Merritt?”, expecting him to say “bee”, his word for bird. But Merritt shot back immediately, “Bwown Creepuh!” The uncle was impressed, and so was I. The surprising response ignited a happy thought that perhaps we had a young ornithologist in the making.
The second incident took place about three years ago with the younger daughter of the same son. She has a genuine interest in birds and we often take walks together to see what avian neighbors we can find near her Oregon home. On one of those outings through a moist woodland, she spotted movement low in the vegetation. I thought it was probably a Pacific Wren. We stopped and waited and in a few seconds the bird emerged from behind what looked like bark on the tree trunk. It was not a wren but a Brown Creeper. We watched it fly away and return and disappear behind the bark several times. I suspected we were watching nesting activity. I did some research that afternoon and found that, in fact, the Brown Creeper often does nest behind loose bark on trees. From that special discovery in our granddaughter’s neighborhood woodland, the species has become one of our favorite birds.
The Brown Creeper is not known to nest in the Barrington area, though there are breeding records from nearby locales such as Ryerson Woods and Kankakee. But as a regular, though uncommon, winter visitor, it’s a species to stay alert for – not in the air, not on the ground, nor even usually on a tree limb, but silently spiraling its way up the side of a mature oak or hickory.
Birds of Barrington – Brown Creeper (Certhia Americana)
About Wendy Paulson
Wendy Paulson has lived in Barrington Hills since 1975, and has led bird walks in the area for many years. She re-established the Nature Lady program in the Barrington 220 school district and St. Anne’s in the late 70s, under the auspices of The Garden Club and Little Garden Club of Barrington. Wendy developed the education program for Citizens for Conservation, initiated and edited its newsletter, and has been an active volunteer with CFC for over 30 years.
Wendy Paulson
During interludes in New York City and Washington, DC, Wendy taught classes about birds in the public schools and is helping to develop a similar program in Chicago public schools with Openlands. She is chairman of The Bobolink Foundation, serves on the board or advisory committee of multiple conservation and bird-related organizations, both domestic and international, and is former chairman of IL and NY chapters of The Nature Conservancy.
Wendy and her husband Hank have two grown children and are avid hikers, cyclists, and kayakers.
CLICK HERE to explore all of the local bird profiles Wendy has authored in our Birds of Barrington series at 365Barrington.com.
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Northern Harrier
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Merlin
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Gray Catbird
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Spring Homecoming
Wendy Paulson’s Barrington Area Bird Walks Return for Late Summer & Fall, 2020
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Ruby-crowned Kinglet
In a bleak year, the natural world stirs hope
Barrington Christmas Bird Count Helps Map Population Trends Globally
Annual Christmas Bird Count to Reveal New Insights on Barrington Bird Population
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Field Sparrow
New Schedule of Fall Bird Hikes with Wendy Paulson
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Common Yellowthroat
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Wilson’s Snipe
New Schedule of Spring Bird Hikes with Wendy Paulson
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Red-breasted Merganser
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Cooper’s Hawk
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | American Robin
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Bald Eagle
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Eastern Wood Peewee
Wendy Paulson’s Barrington Area Bird Hikes this Fall!
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Chimney Swift
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Yellow Warbler
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Song Sparrow
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Common Goldeneye
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Of Music & Mourning Doves
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Northern Shrike
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Tale of the Turkey Vulture
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Song of the Sedge Wren
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Dickcissel Discovery
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | American White Pelican
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | American Woodcock
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Common Merganser
Barrington Area Spring Bird Walks & Hikes with Wendy Paulson
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | American Tree Sparrow
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Golden-crowned Kinglet
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Blue Jay
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | American Goldfinch
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Black-billed Cuckoo
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Brown Thrasher
Spring Bird Spotting with Wendy Paulson
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Wood Duck
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Red-bellied Woodpecker
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | White-throated Sparrow
365. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Great Horned Owl
311. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Pied-billed Grebe
266. New Schedule of Fall Bird Hikes With Wendy Paulson
265. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Common Nighthawk
235. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Cedar Waxwing
200. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Indigo Bunting
164. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Scarlet Tanager
163. Stunning Photos Captured During Annual Baker’s Lake Island Rookery Bird Count
126. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | The Eastern Towhee
97. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Return of the Red-winged Blackbird
61. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington: The Upside-Down Bird
60. New Season of Spring Bird Walks & Hikes with Naturalist Wendy Paulson
43. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | The Downy Woodpecker Yawns at Dawn
13. The Ultimate Recycling Project Refreshes Heron Rookery with Christmas Trees
6. Recycled Christmas Trees Bound for Rookery Island
5. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington: Red-tailed Hawk
321. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington: The Sandhill Crane
278. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
248. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | The Call of the Killdeer
228. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Barn Swallows Signal Autumn’s Approach
199. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington: Eastern Kingbird
153. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Baltimore Oriole
126. Wendy Paulson Highlights The Great Blue Heron, Barrington’s Official Town Bird
125. Hands of Hope’s 14th Annual Barrington Country Garden & Antique Faire
89. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Eastern Meadowlark, the Flautist of Prairies
66. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Northern Cardinal
64. Barrington Spring Bird Walks with Wendy Paulson
36. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | The Black-Capped Chickadee
18. Christmas Trees Transported to Refresh Nests at Baker’s Lake Rookery
337. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | ‘Tis the Season for Snowbirds
279. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Eastern Bluebird
201. Fall Bird Walks Scheduled with Wendy Paulson
186. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | The Bobolink
116. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Great Egret Spotting at Baker’s Lake
84. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Finding the Northern Flicker
72. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | An Eye on the Eastern Phoebe
Relax Away.........in our hot tub rentals, we have therapeutic jets that can be used with their massaging action to help relieve physical, emotional and mental stress from a long day Check us out at www.chillntub.com...
Self Love never goes out of style 🫶 Show yourself some love this Valentine’s Day with a mani pedi at Avalon Salon! Click the 🔗 Link in Bio to book your appointment today 💗