The Wren or not the Wren? Sinaloa

Jeff and I thought we would drive to Fort Huachuca to search for the Sinaloa Wren .

Sinaloa Wren (Thryothorus sinaloa), Huachuca Canyon, Cochise County

This Sinaloa Wren was discovered by Ron Beck on 02 September 2013 and photographed by Charles W. Melton on 03 and 30 September 2013.  Sound recordings were made on 02 September 2013 by Janet Cunningham and Joe Woodley. 

Potential third US record.  The only previous records of this species for the ABA area are the long staying bird in Patagonia, AZ in 2008-09 and a second bird at nearly this location in Huachuca Canyon in 2009.  This species is essentially a west Mexican endemic. It is regular in central Sonora and is reported to be expanding its range northward so that it now can apparently be found within 30 miles of the US border.

see more here.. 

 

On September 2, 2013, Ron Beck and others discovered an apparent ABA Code 5 Sinaloa Wren in Huachuca Canyon, on Fort Huachuca in Cochise County, Arizona. The bird was subsequently seen by many and recorded both singing and calling. This is the third record of Sinaloa Wren in the ABA area.

more from ABA here

When we arrived in the location where the bird had been seen there were birders already looking for the bird.

One was playing a recording of the wren which angered Jeff so he walked up the road a bit. I wasn’t sure if we were in the correct location so I texted a friend who had seen the wren before and he gave me some good instructions.

I also went online and read that it had been seen going in and out of its nest. I knew to look for a skulker, it forges on the ground in the leave and can be difficult to see.

I  also told the person using the recording that this was a skulky bird and the recording might scare it off.

I walked around for a while until one of the birders said she heard movement in the leaves nearby.

A group of birders assembled and we saw a wren fly onto a tree trunk and into a nest. I was too slow and only got this shot of the bird after it left the tree trunk and before it flew into the nest.

Was it the Sinaloa Wren?

We had questions because this was a new bird for us and we were not sure.

Others said it was the bird.

It had been reported going to a nest..

This is the nest we saw this wren go into..

We saw the bird fly out of the nest after spending several minutes inside.

It took a while to relocate the bird.

A local birder re-found the bird and signaled us to come see it.

He said this was the

Sinaloa Wren.

I took several shots with my point and shoot to document the bird.

The bird was in and out of leaf litter..

We got pretty good looks..

When I read the description of the bird online I think it is the bird.

Then I look at my photos and question..

The Wren or not the Wren?

That is the question

This is where we lost the bird..and decided it was time to leave.

At this point we were assured by other birders that this was the Sinaloa Wren.

What do you think?

An owl or not an owl?

Anyone know what shoe makes this print?

I want one!