Happy New Year! I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season and is ready for some fun in 2012!  I am very grateful to the doctors and nurses who took care of our friend and Bird Guru, Ray, this past fall and ensured his future with us in 2012.  I hope to see him soon and document his ordeal so you can know what has transpired and how lucky we are to have him.  

Ray always told me he had times when he really struggled to come up with a topic for his weekly article. Well, I can totally relate. If you have any particular bird you would like to know more about or an idea for an article, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you. You can reach me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . I’ve heard from a few of you wanting to know how to get in touch with Ray (since his info hasn’t been in the articles). You can reach him via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone at 547-7371. I’m sure he would be thrilled to hear from you.

This week I have chosen to write about my favorite little bird, the Carolina Wren. This beautiful little bird won my heart several years ago when we first moved to Tennessee. One morning I woke to find this wren sitting on the edge of my wooden deck railing bobbing up and down and singing a beautiful little song. I thought to myself it had to be the happiest bird in the world. Well, since then I have kept a close eye on my little feathered friend. In the spring, I have my work cut out to find where she has hidden her nest. She is very protective, and many times I have to sit quietly for quite a while before she will give away her spot. She also amuses me with her nest locations. Carolina Wrens will make nests just about anywhere, and be prepared for a huge mass of moss and mud! Mine has nested in hanging flower pots, a hole in a tree trunk, a gutter (which luckily didn’t get much run off), between some old fence posts, a ledge under our porch deck and my favorite was when she discovered a hole in my husband’s shed and tried to build a nest inside. Luckily we figured her out before she was able to complete her nest. There have also been a couple years where she nests in a neighbor’s yard. I have to admit I am a little jealous when she decides to nest elsewhere…

For those of you who are not familiar with the Carolina Wren, who is in our region year-round, they have two very distinguishable characteristics. One is a white line above their eyes and the other is an upward angled tail that creates a “v” shape with the body.  They tend to be a dark caramel/cinnamon color on top with a cream/tan belly. They also feature black bars on their wings and tail feathers. They tend to be rather round and chunky with no neck. Males and females look exactly the same.

Carolina Wrens are primarily insect eaters and can be found foraging in bushes and around ground clutter. They are not terribly fond of bird feeders, but will take advantage of suet in the winter and also enjoy a bit of peanut butter as well.

What are your favorite birds? Are they locals or did you see a special one on vacation that has really stuck with you? I would love to hear about what bird(s) you find exciting. Be safe and have a happy New Year!