Birds, Nature, and Photography

The Little Brown Creeper

Spring has arrived, and migrating birds are returning to their summer breeding grounds. Some, including Common Grackles, American Robins, Hooded Mergansers, and Ring-necked Ducks, have arrived in Southeast Minnesota. They join year-round residents, such as Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, American Crows, and Mallard ducks.

One bird that winters in this region is the Brown Creeper (Certhia americana). It flies to a tree’s base and spirals upward while probing for arthropods in the bark. In winter, it eats seeds, too. Eventually, it glides to the lower reaches of another tree and resumes its feeding process.

During this past winter, I first spotted a Brown Creeper in mid-March. Perhaps that’s because the brown feathers on their backs blend in with tree bark.

Brown Creepers live throughout much of the contiguous United States, southern Canada, southern Alaska, and parts of Mexico. They migrate to mature forests during the breeding season, especially those with coniferous trees.

As the Brown Creepers move on to their breeding habitat, other species will displace them. Soon, I expect to see herons, egrets, hummingbirds, various ducks, warblers, and other species. Springtime is an exciting time for north country bird watchers and photographers.