One of the Reclusive Ones: Marsh Wren at the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area in Oregon

Some birds might be relatively common, but at the same time they can be very reclusive and hard to see. They can be even harder to photograph. I got lucky with one of those kinds of birds last week as we traveled through Oregon. It was a Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris). It was only the fourth time I've seen one, and only second time I've gotten pictures. We were stopped at the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area just inland of Reedsport on the Umpqua River. We actually weren't looking for the elk because we have lots of pictures of elk. The meadow along the river is often a good place to look for birds.

I inadvertently drew the bird out of reeds and into sight. I could hear a bird singing in the thick vegetation but I'm not well-versed in bird calls. I suspected it might be a Marsh Wren, so I pulled out the smart phone to check the call. It played louder than I expected, and suddenly the Marsh Wren jumped out of the reeds wondering who the competition was. Calling birds this way is not really ethical, as it may upset the birds and cause them to use energy that they can't spare.

For more information about Marsh Wrens, I recommend an excellent post by fellow nature blogger Siera Nystrom at the Natural History Journal.

One of Those Rarely Seen Little Ones: Marsh Wren at the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge

There are still a lot of common species out there that I haven't seen yet, sometimes because I am just not observant enough, but sometimes it's because the bird itself has an elusive lifestyle. The Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) falls into the latter category. They live most of their lives creeping among the reeds, rarely coming out into the open where they can be photographed.

I saw this Marsh Wren a couple of weeks ago at the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, and had a heck of a time catching images. It hardly ever stopped moving, and hardly ever emerged from the reeds in the little marsh habitat outside of the brand new visitor center. I was on an elevated boardwalk above the marsh at the time. That was interesting, because I later read eBird's advice for seeing Marsh Wrens:

"Seeing a Marsh Wren in its often impenetrable marsh habitat can be tough, but these few tips might help. First, find a marsh with an elevated boardwalk. These provide more of a bird's-eye view of the cattails, allowing you to scan across more of the marsh and look down into it."

The Marsh Wren thus joins my list of not necessarily rare birds that are hard to see (the Sora comes to mind as another example). It is was a privilege to see one!