Mr. Bubbly

An unrecognized bird song outside your kitchen window is unexpected. After ten minutes of tracking the singer through windows I finally saw the bird. A slim brown wren like bird and it was not a Carolina Wren. After I’d grabbed binoculars and a bird book I had my id – a House Wren. Now I hear house wrens are very common but I’d never seen or heard one on ‘my patch’.

In a year or two I’ll know if the same phenomena has occurred with house wrens as has with song sparrows. In former years when I went birding in the western part of NC fellow birders looked at me a little strangely when I did not recognize a song sparrow’s song. Well song sparrows were not around my patch and I only heard them if I traveled. In the last two years the situation has changed. I now hear song sparrows and I certainly banded enough of them this winter.

So where did the name Mr. Bubbly come from? Most days I hear that enthusiastic bubbly song from the house wren as it moves around its territory. Mr. Bubbly is just ... appropriate.

There are two of them. Twice two birds have gone into a mist net together. Yesterday I confirmed that the birds are indeed a pair (brood patch and cp). I’ve not spotted a nest yet but I’m watching. As for next year ... I’ll have to wait and see if house wren is now part of our resident flock.