I’ve neither seen nor heard many birds in the Sandia foothills this winter, with one very notable exception: canyon towhees. They aren’t exactly prepossessing, in either looks or song, but I’ve seen a lot of them, and this one graciously allowed me to take its photo.
The recent scarcity of birds is no doubt why I was so delighted to hear a cactus wren a few weeks ago. Their call is quite unique, which is very helpful to someone like myself who doesn’t see all that well. The 7-second video below will give you a good idea of what they sound like.
I’d been walking up a trail when I heard the first cactus wren, and was stealthily positioning myself to get a shot of either of the two I’d spotted.1 I’d noticed two women with a dog coming down the same trail and was sure the dog would scare the birds away. Instead, the women noticed me and slowed down, keeping the dog leashed.2 I managed to pop off a few shots … and then the cactus wrens were gone.
I think cactus wrens are straight-up adorable. They aren’t brightly colored and their song is kinda strange … but they are soooooo cute. A week or two later, as I was finishing a hike, I saw what I thought was a sparrow perched on a cholla.3 I had a long lens with me so I decided to try for a few shots. As I crept closer to the bird, I realized it was actually another cactus wren!
The last photo, of a spotted towhee,4 doesn’t quite belong with the rest, as it’s not a winter foothills bird. It is, however, another incredibly cute bird which I saw in the bosque last week. And, even though they don't look all that similar, it's a second towhee, just like the bird this post started with.
I’m pretty sure the only being who thinks I’m stealthy is me.
It’s fairly unusual for 1) other folks even to notice that I’m trying to take a photo and 2) to slow down or stop to allow me to get it. I am so grateful to everyone who does both.
For those who aren’t local, cholla is a type of cactus. It’s pronounced CHOY-uh.
Towhee is pronounced TOE-ee.
Great job capturing these beautiful, feathered friends. I sent it to my birding friend. She loves these.
I agree, so cute! Thx!