A Collector of Oddities

By MinBannister

Creepy

Okay, I am really liking the new lens!

I popped out at lunchtime and heard a high peeping coming from a tree. I looked round and nearly missed a Treecreeper Certhia famliaris as it crept very quickly up a tree trunk.

These cute wee birds fly to the bottom of a tree trunk then spiral up it looking for insects and seeds in the bark. When they are done with one tree they fly to the bottom of the next one and spiral up that one.

Notice how beautifully adapted it is. Great big claws for clinging to the bark, a long curved beak for probing insects out of crevices and a long stiff tail to help prop it up on the trunk. The speckly brown feathers on its back camoflage it very well against the trees and the bright white stomach is thought to help the bird spot food by reflecting light onto the bark.

Clever.

300mm, f5.6

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