Sitting on our back deck on this mild, sunny afternoon in central Missouri, I observed my first brown creeper of the season. Among our most aptly named birds, its unique silhouette caught my attention as it circled up the trunk of a large maple tree, searching for insects or their eggs.
Having summered and bred in Canada and southward through the mountain corridors, brown creepers generally turn up in October as they migrate south or stop here for the winter. Whatever the circumstance, they are generally found alone though they may appear in the company of chickadees, titmice and nuthatches.
Arriving with the cool autumn weather, they are always a welcome visitor. Unobtrusive and easily overlooked, their insect control service is also under appreciated.
