Saturday, February 6, 2010

Avian Refugees: Brown Creepers

Wet and mild winters make Northwest Louisiana a haven for wildlife. Walter B. Jacobs Memorial Nature Park is alive with bird species that have migrated here from parts north.

Brown Creepers are among those refugees.
. They can be found throughout the park.
. Listen for a very high-pitched “See…see.”
. Watch for movement from the base of a tree spiraling up, and then sinking through the air toward the base of another tree.
. They cling to tree trunks and glean small insects and spiders from grooves in the bark.
. They don’t usually eat at the feeders, but can often be seen on the trees around them.
. They have cousins who live in the Great Lakes, New England, and Pacific States all year long, but they spend their summers in Canada and their winters here with us.
. They usually leave Shreveport around the middle of March, but once one was recorded on April 15th.

If you spot a few of them in a group, you can impress your friends with this fun fact: A group of creepers is called a "sleeze," or a "spiral."