Pacific Wren

Day 195: I knew I only had seconds to capture a photo of my little friend here, despite the fact that he seemed to be anxious to have his portrait taken. I turned the camera on, and with some difficulty, found him against the background and zoomed in. Click! and then click again, and he was gone. Only then did I look at the settings. At 1/15th of a second, hand-held, I was sure I wouldn't have anything worth saving. The second image was a blur, but with a little post-processing, I brought this one up to an acceptable light level and was pleasantly surprised by the detail I'd caught in the long exposure. Pacific Wren (Troglodytes pacificus) is an elusive little creature, quick to hop away into concealment, and there to serenade you with a long "Neener-neener, can't catch me!" taunt. More often heard than seen, he prefers brush piles and tangles of vines where his freckled colouration serves him well. But occasionally he pops out to perch on a twig, tail held erect in typical wren fashion, and then he's gone again before the thought of the camera has fully formed in your mind.