Rock Wren of Morro Bay
When you find yourself stuck between a rock and a hard place, what’s a poor soul to do? In the case of the Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsolutes), singing at the top of your lungs is the only solution. I’ll get there in a moment.
In mid-January, I drove from my home in the oak woodland foothills of the Sierra Nevada, not far from Yosemite National Park, to Morro Bay on the central coast of California. I had planned on attending the Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival, but it was cancelled at the last minute due to surging Omicron infections.
Tidelands around Morro Rock, California
Not to be deterred, I went there anyway. While the crowds were absent, the over-wintering birds were all there, and enjoying upper 60 degree weather. I dedicated a couple of mornings walking around Morro Rock in hopes of sighting the Peregrine Falcons which nest there in the spring amongst flocks of seagulls (a good source of avian protein any time of year). I did spot a couple of Osprey (including Lamp Post Larry picking apart his catch of the day atop the light fixture along the parking entrance road, and two Peregrine Falcons soaring very high overhead, but too far away to photograph.
With eyes pointed upward, though, I might have missed a great show close at hand. As fortune would have it, I necessarily had to look downwards in order to slowly, and very carefully, cross over the grand pile of boulders and unstable riprap that make up the breakwater at the end of the pathway around Morro Rock. My M.O. in navigating the rubble was simple: Don’t Look Up.
That’s when a demonstrative, sparrow-sized bird alighted about ten feet from me. It bobbed up and down, and started to sing. After a few refrains, it halved its distance to me before disappearing into a rock crevice. When it reappeared atop an adjacent boulder, I realized I was face to face with a Rock Wren proudly displaying in its bill a bite-sized caterpillar, a juicy snack, I presume.
Rock Wren with caterpillar
I quickly lost my fascination with birds on high, and became infatuated with this diminutive, ground-nesting songster. A resident of arid landscapes in western North and South America, Rock Wrens inhabit the dry, open, rocky spaces of stone quarries, levees, barren ocean bluffs, and of course, the breakwater of Morro Bay. With an ocean view and the sound of waves crashing day and night, what’s not to like?
Now, unlike the writer (who risks falling with almost every step on the uneven landscape), this species hops adroitly from boulder to boulder. It forages for insects in the darkened crevices, bobbing as it goes, and pausing to sing a tune. With a repertoire upwards of 100 vocalizations learned from neighboring birds, it is a real rock star, and has the pipes to prove it.
Rock Wren looking for insects in rocky crevices.
Rock Star didn’t seem to mind my presence. Indeed, it often approached and appeared to look me over as I watched in amazement. I imagined that it even sang me a note or two. Wherever I walked, it seemed to follow. Or, maybe it was the other way around. Most likely, Rock Star’s behavior was territorial, designed to warn potential interlopers that these rocks belonged to him. Nevertheless, our paths seemed to repeatedly cross.
Rock Wren staring at photographer
On the other side of the pathway, opposite the harbor entrance, Canyon Wrens were in full song, too. But unlike this more sociable Rock Wren, the Canyon Wrens remained hidden in the coastal sage vegetation at the base of Morro Rock. Sometimes at territorial odds, the two species seemed to co-exist on opposite sides of the pathway.
With the passing of the Ides of January, lengthening photoperiods (the amount of time birds are exposed to daylight) trigger a powerful hormonal response which will soon set this male into “looking for a mate” mode. I hope to return in a couple of months, by which time Rock Star will most certainly have found a mate, and perhaps even helped with at least one brood. If good fortune continues to guide me, I will come upon the telltale signs of a Rock Wren nest site: a tiny stone pathway constructed by the male, and leading directly into a rocky crevice. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, enjoy a Rock Star performance in the following video (turn up your speakers):
A Rock Wren singing video
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