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Re: Winter Wren - Millcreek Canyon

I humbly stand corrected :-(

I've heard a wren singing on that very trail a week ago and blythely
concluded it was a House Wren. I've only had luck locating Winter Wrens (in
Winter!) up City Creek Canyon.

I will try to walk (too old to run) up that trail again in the near future
to see if I can hear (and distinguish) the Winter Wren's song.

Sorry that I questioned you.

Jim

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Colby Neuman" <scythebill83@hotmail.com>
To: <slbnet@utahbirds.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2004 3:47 PM
Subject: Re: Winter Wren - Millcreek Canyon


> I'd like to respond to Jim's understandable concerns...
>
> Back to last evening.I was running along the Desolation Trail when I heard
a
> bird singing a high pitched musical song up the hill.  Because I wasn't
> really paying attention, I initially thought I had an Ovenbird doing its
> flight song.  So I stopped and about five seconds later the bird sang
> again.that's when I realized that it was JUST a Winter Wren.
>
> As for distinguishing Winter Wren and House Wren by song...it's actually
> quite easy.  House Wrens typically sing a bubbly song that crescendos
before
> dropping off at the end.  Going off the top of my head, the individual
song
> itself is usually no more than 5-7 seconds long.  However, a Winter Wren
> usually gives a series of high pitched twinkles and twitters that can go
on
> for up to 20-30 seconds.  The bird last night was probably singing for
10-15
> seconds at a time before pausing.
>
> Jim wrote:
> >A Winter Wren would be highly unlikely in that locale this time of year.
> >
> >Jim
>
> I probably would have said the same thing five years ago.  However, I'm
> going to disagree with Jim here.  I know the older field guides (like
> National Geographic and Petersons) showed Winter Wren summering as far
south
> as the mountains around Stanley, ID.  I don't have Sibley on me right now,
> but his maps are horrible so it wouldn't surprise me that he showed the
same
> pattern.  Here are some summer sightings that I can remember to the south
of
> central Idaho.
>
> A couple of years ago I found a Winter Wren singing along Bailey Creek
> outside of Soda Springs, ID in July.  I emailed Chuck Trost asking him
about
> the significance of the sighting.  He was delighted to report that he had
> seen one a week or so before in a different part of the Wasatch Range in
> southeastern Idaho.  I also remember (or at least I think do) sightings in
> previous years from Farmington Canyon and a canyon outside of Logan in
Utah.
>   Maybe others can comment on these sightings.  As for one Utah sighting
> that I do remember, Merrill Webb had one singing in July last year in
> American Fork Canyon.  I don't know if breeding has ever been confirmed,
but
> these sightings seem to indicate Winter Wrens almost certainly breed in
the
> Wasatch Range in Utah.  The questions we should ask are how frequently and
> to what extent???
>
> Colby
>
>
>
> >From: Jim Bailey <jim@bailey.aros.net>
> >To: slbnet@utahbirds.org
> >Subject: Re: [slbnet] Winter Wren - Millcreek Canyon
> >Date: Tue, 8 Jun 2004 10:57:16 -0600 (MDT)
> >
> >I am speculating that you heard a House Wren. Their songs are similar. A
> >Winter Wren would be highly unlikely in that locale this time of year.
> >
> >Jim
> >
> > > While running up to the Salt Lake Overlook (Desolation Trail) in
> > > Millcreek Canyon this evening, I heard a Winter Wren singing in a
ravine
> > > about a half a mile down from the overlook.  This is approximately 1.5
> > > miles from the trailhead.
> > >
> > > Colby
> >
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