While monitoring for peregrines at the base of a talus slope on Peaked Mtn in Piermont this AM, I could hear a winter wren singing off to my left.  I thought that was nice but didn't think much more about it as I never am able to see those little guys.  However, over the next hour the occasionally repeated song got louder, and eventually I saw movement and heard rustling to my left.  I spotted the wren very systematically and energetically poking around among the logs, moss, leaves and rocks of the talus slope, making its way from left to right.  In the morning light its color appeared as a lovely  maroonish brown and the barring looked more like orderly small spots.  It continued to progress, ignoring me completely, passing about 12 to 15 feet in front of me, remaing visible for 5 to 7 minutes, and finally passing out of my view to the right.  Several times while in view it paused to cock up its tail and open its beak to make its long song.  Over the next hour the occasional song became fainter as the determined forager continued to traverse the talus slope.  Somehow the terms "secretive" or "skulking" that I've heard applied to the winter wren just didn't seem at all applicable to this very forthright and determined little character.  I guess this is a good example of the Lawrence Kilham approach to birding-----waiting in one spot and watching to see what happens.  In any event, I think this morning I used up my allotted portion of "up close and personal" time with winter wrens for this lifetime.----Don

****************************************************************
To post messages, send e-mail to:  [log in to unmask]
Set your e-mail application to PLAIN TEXT ONLY to post messages.
To contact the list owner:  [log in to unmask]
----------------------------------------------------------------
Web based archives and subscription management are available at:
http://listserv.dartmouth.edu/Archives/uv-birders.html
****************************************************************