Phriday Photo – Brown Creeper Closeup
January 23, 2009
Article in: Photography
Brown Creepers are a bit of a pain to photograph. They mock the camera with perfect camouflage and just when you have them in focus, they let out a shrill sound and zip to another hiding spot.
Crypt of Creepers
November 18, 2008
Article in: Birding
A murder of crows, a parliament of owls, a colony of gulls, a raft of ducks…but what would you call a collection of Brown Creepers? Over the weekend we had a fun (but cold) outing with our local bird club and while the bird diversity was a bit low, the birds we saw were enjoyable.
For starters, we found what we identified as an “Oregon” race of Dark-eyed Junco. This photo was taken by Dakota who was briefly borrowing the camera to practice on feeder birds.
Then, we found a large gathering of Brown Creepers in the woods. There were about six or seven of these birds in a group, which according to Pete Dunne’s Essential Field Guide Companion, rarely number in more than six at a time. It was something that no one in our group had witnessed before. So, due to their cryptic coloration, we decided to call this a Crypt of Creepers.
Lastly, we found this strange looking Canada Goose which we were unsure if it was some sort of hybrid or just some sort of color aberration with a long scientific sounding name that essentially means “oddly colored”.
CNP Update: More Spring Arrivals
April 17, 2008
Article in: Birding
Spring is still springing, and we finally hit 70 degrees at the CNP. We have had a few new species since last Thursday.
Hermit Thrush – a new spring arrival

The yard has been so wet, a couple of Mallards landed nearby, not a usual visitor to the CNP. More rain (goodbye 70-degree-day) is predicted for this weekend too.
The Chipping Sparrows have arrived, adding to the Dark-eyed Junco trills. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet made a short appearance, but has not stuck around.
It’s been a few months since we’ve seen a Brown Creeper and Friday Dakota found one after school. Not new for the year, but a fun find nonetheless.
New as of Friday April 11, 2008
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Hermit Thrush
- Chipping Sparrow
- Mallard
- Brown-headed Cowbird
We eagerly await more birds and wildflowers at the CNP! (Although we’ll be busy doing bird counts when migration really hits









