Went for a walk around the lake across the road. I consider November and
March the "duck months" around here. In some years the lake is frozen over
for most of the period in between. Ducks in December are a bit rare but do
happen if the water is open. This AM there was a surprising variety down
there:
Ringnecks
Hooded Mergs
Bufflehead (2 males)
Canada geese
Mallards
And some sparrows-Song, Field and White throat and at least one that might
have been a Fox. He got into the bush too quick. Also plenty of Juncos.

Had a WINTER WREN sing part of a song along the creek. I tried to sneak down
for a look while he was just chipping away, but he shut up. Until I was back
up on the trail again. You don't figure he coulda seen me do ya?

I think it is great that this could become 2 species. We had probably our
most enchanting encounter with one in Washington's Olympic Nat Park. He was
singing from the top of a small broken off stick of a stump and when we
located him we got the thrill of looking right down his throat while he sang
that long warbly song. It was like we were checking his tonsils.

A tip for locating them in breeding season: Look for old growth virgin
forest if you can find it (Very rare, particularly here in the east). I
don't think I have found any that doesn't have this species. Yes, they take
other stuff, too, but they seem to prefer the virgin uncut stuff. Examples -
Dave Brinker directed me to Gaudineer Knob, WVA a few years ago. I took one
look at it as we started down the trail and made a comment to Laura, "Bet we
get Winter Wren." It didn't take 5 minutes! For those that are not familiar
with it, Gaudineer Knob contains a couple hundred acres of forest that
missed the ax because of a "surveyor's error". Wish they would make more and
bigger errors like that. To find Gaudineer Knob, look for Durbin on a map.
It's the hill right next to it. Rt no. is 250, but state Rt 92 follows it at
that point. Drive all the way up to the top and follow a sign to a parking
area.
I have mentioned Heart's Content near my boyhood home in NW PA. Same thing.
A tract of virgin land donated to the state by a logging company. It's
probably less than a hundred acres, but has a thriving population of Winter
Wrens every year. It also had Swainson's Thrush, but the last 2 years that
we've been there that species was strangely missing. To find this one, find
Warren (Warren County) on a map and Heart's Content is south and slightly
west of it in Allegheny Nat Forest. Rt 62 is the closest numbered route that
I know of but you have to follow signs off of it to the rec area.
Garrett County has some small areas, but I find Winter Wrens in several
spots, some of which are tough to get in to. It would be easier to show you
than tell you about it.

Jerry Tarbell
Wintering in Carroll County