On this sunny but cold afternoon in central Missouri, a Carolina wren appeared on our back porch. More than paying a visit, it was searching for sustenance within the furniture, decking and window framing.
It is always a pleasure when these active, noisy neighbors drop by to inspect our property; after all, their service is mutually beneficial. While their consumption of insects, spiders and their larvae or eggs is the primary benefit, the hardiness and energy of these small songbirds is contagious. Watching them from the cozy confines of our house, I am often inclined to join them in the great outdoors, regardless of the season.
Colorful and prone to sing throughout the year, Carolina wrens are monogamous and do not venture far from their partner. No doubt, our porch inspector was within earshot of his/her spouse who was likely foraging in our brush pile or scouring the leaf litter that has collected beneath our shrubs.
