The Brown Creeper Returns!

On Friday, I saw the Brown Creeper working it's way up the trees in the front yard. This is our first recorded sighting since 2008! Unfortunately I didn't have the camera nearby, so by the time I grabbed the camera and returned to the window, I was only able to get one good shot of it before it flew too far away for a picture. The Creeper's pattern of travelling in a spiral motion up the tree was what caught my eye in the first place.



In the picture, you can see the Creeper off to the right. He/She has a long curved bill and a long tail. Here are some interesting facts about the Brown Creeper from whatbird.com:

• Brown Creepers will freeze when threatened, often with outspread wings, and remain motionless for several minutes. At these times, their brown plumage is such an effective camouflage they can be nearly invisible.
• They start at the bottom of a tree, spiral upward pecking insects as it ascends, then hops down to the base of the next tree and begins again.
• In some areas their nests often have two openings, one that serves as an entrance and the other as an exit.
• A group of creepers are collectively known as a "sleeze" and a "spiral" of creepers.