Earlier today (noon, October 31) Ted Armstrong photographed a Rock Wren at Hurkett Dock. Details are found below in Ted's email. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Ted Armstrong <tedarmstrong11@gmail.com> Date: Thu, Oct 31, 2024 at 10:02 PM Subject: [NWObirds] Hurkett Dock - Rock Wren? To: NWObirds <NWObirds@googlegroups.com> Hello NWO Birds. I was at a windy, cool Hurkett Dock at noon today. On the path to the closed-off DFO dock, a wren appeared at the edge of the cattails on the hard rock/paved surface between the parth and the cattails. It appeared for a few seconds, disappeared, then re-appeared for a few more seconds and obligingly posed for a few photos. It never vocalized. I didn't have my field guides with me (and I was cold), and unfortunately I decided that my photos were good enough to allow me to confirm the species back home. While the overall appearance doesn't seem a great match for the profile of Rock Wren images in my field guides, the field marks seem spot-on - finely streaked breast, dull gray-brown back, cinnamon-coloured flanks & rump patch, buffy tail tips, light gray line over the eye, dark legs, darkish tail band. I stand to be corrected, but believe that this was a Rock Wren. I note just a couple of previous Thunder Bay District records in eBird. I've attached my cropped photos if anyone wants to weigh in. I am sorry that I didn't recognize this for what it was and get this message posted sooner. The bird didn't flush, it just melted back into the rocks again. Ted

James Barber reports that the Rock Wren continues at the same location this morning (November 1). On Thu, Oct 31, 2024 at 10:26 PM OFO Birds <ofobirds@gmail.com> wrote: > Earlier today (noon, October 31) Ted Armstrong photographed a Rock Wren at > Hurkett Dock. Details are found below in Ted's email. > > ---------- Forwarded message --------- > From: Ted Armstrong <tedarmstrong11@gmail.com> > Date: Thu, Oct 31, 2024 at 10:02 PM > Subject: [NWObirds] Hurkett Dock - Rock Wren? > To: NWObirds <NWObirds@googlegroups.com> > > > Hello NWO Birds. I was at a windy, cool Hurkett Dock at noon today. On the > path to the closed-off DFO dock, a wren appeared at the edge of the > cattails on the hard rock/paved surface between the parth and the cattails. > It appeared for a few seconds, disappeared, then re-appeared for a few more > seconds and obligingly posed for a few photos. It never vocalized. I didn't > have my field guides with me (and I was cold), and unfortunately I decided > that my photos were good enough to allow me to confirm the species back > home. While the overall appearance doesn't seem a great match for the > profile of Rock Wren images in my field guides, the field marks seem > spot-on - finely streaked breast, dull gray-brown back, > cinnamon-coloured flanks & rump patch, buffy tail tips, light gray line > over the eye, dark legs, darkish tail band. I stand to be corrected, but > believe that this was a Rock Wren. I note just a couple of previous Thunder > Bay District records in eBird. > I've attached my cropped photos if anyone wants to weigh in. I am sorry > that I didn't recognize this for what it was and get this message > posted sooner. The bird didn't flush, it just melted back into the > rocks again. > Ted >