Brown Creeper

Brown Creepers are so difficult to photograph - they are tiny, very well camouflaged for climbing tree trunks, and they never stop moving, LOL! I quickly snapped this one on our 109th annual Audubon Bird Count in the Snakeshead area, NW of Calgary recently. I had spent too much time photographing a Downy Woodpecker on someone's feeder and then suddenly noticed this Creeper. I turned round to call to the three friends I was with, but no one was there. I was worried that they must all be waiting for me in the car, which was the other side of the farm house. I knew I'd better get photographic "proof" of this bird as it was the first one on this count. Sorry, Tony - I was in such a hurry that it never occurred to me that you could add this bird to your new Winter List - sorry you missed it, but hope you've seen one elsewhere since then : ) Oh, forgot to add that I've posted this photo, despite it being somewhat blurry and I didn't capture that long, curved beak, but I so rarely get photos of this species. At least it gives an idea of the beautiful feather pattern. These birds are uncommon year round in Alberta.