Rock Wren in the Devil's Garden at Arches National Park, Utah

I was in the southwest for the last couple of weeks, so our birds for the next few days will be some of the desert species that I observed during our trip. I didn't have a lot of time for birding, but a few made themselves known. An example would be this Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) that introduced itself while I was walking along the Landscape Arch Trail in the Devil's Garden area of Arches National Park in Utah.

The wren was hunting for bugs on the sandstone fins that form the framework for the park's many beautiful arches (more than 300, the largest concentrations of arches on the planet). The birds do well in desert environments because they get all the water they need from the insects that they consume.

Pine Tree Arch on the Landscape Arch Trail

Rock Wren at Kern River County Park near Bakersfield

I spent last week in Death Valley National Park, and although logic would seem to dictate that there would be few birds about in the driest place in North America, but there are in fact a few. In fact, in the right circumstance, there are a great many species, many of whom are passing through on their migrations elsewhere. But I didn't see all that many of them.

Before we reached Death Valley, we made a stop at Kern River County Park to look for a few fossils. While I was scouring the hillside, I noticed that there was a bird doing some "people-watching". It turned out to be a Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus). I've seen them a few times back home around Turlock Lake, but that's about it.

The Rock Wrens range across the west from the Canadian border to deep into Mexico and Central America. They eat mostly insects that they glean from spider webs or catch on the fly. They are declining in number because of habitat loss.

Rock Wren at Turlock Lake State Recreational Area

It's the same place and maybe the same kind of bird, and it seems like Turlock Lake State Recreational Area is the place for me to see wrens. I'm relatively sure this is a Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus), since the head is not as flattened as a Canyon Wren, but as always, I appreciate corrections.

It's too bad that it costs $11 to visit Turlock Lake. I suppose the entrance fee is high because of the boat traffic during the right season, but the lake is so low this year that boating isn't really feasible. On the other hand, we almost never see anybody else at the park. We went down to the campground in the park a little later, and the host seemed grateful for a bit of company. She made me feel like a bit of an expert (ha-ha) since I knew a fair number of the birds that she asked about.

It was sweet of the wren to hold still for awhile for pictures. I still note the lack of rocks for the wren to live in, but the notes suggest they use buildings sometimes as well. I'll be listening for the song as well the next time I can afford to visit!

Bird of the Day: Rock Wren at Turlock Lake

Turlock Lake State Recreation Area is a reservoir that stores irrigation water for the valley floordownstream. It consists of low hills composed of gravel and sand washed down ancient rivers of the Sierra Nevada. The site is mostly composed of grassy hills with occasional oak woodlands, and some landscaped trees and shrubs around the parking areas. We've not fully explored the birdwatching possibilities of the park, but we occasionally stop by, especially since seeing the Bald Eagle there last November. We stopped in for a few minutes the other day, and saw a Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) on the fencing along the high ridge above the reservoir. It was kind enough to stay still for several shots.

I got to know wrens in another place and time. Canyon Wrens were a constant companion during my journey down the Colorado River in the summer of 2013. Their lilting song was one of the most beautiful and haunting sounds I have ever heard. This Rock Wren wasn't singing for us, but it was nice to see one up close. As their name suggests, they usually live in rocky settings like talus slopes. There weren't a lot of rock piles where we were at, so I wasn't completely sure of my identification, but they apparently will use buildings for nesting at times, and we were near a few structures.

As usual, I am open to gentle corrections in my identification of birds!