There has been a long-staying and reliable Carolina Wren frequenting a birders house in St. Paul. It has been on my wants list since the start of the year, since this bird is a rarity in the Twin Cities, I knew the address and had permission to watch the feeders! It would be a really nice bird to get for my big year, but unfortunately it is a fair distance from my house, and not in a direction that I normally travel.
Friday was a cold day, about 10 degrees F with a windchill reading of about -4 or -5. Plus the apparent wind generated by biking makes things a bit colder still! However, I had a couple of hours free, and then I would be busy all weekend with guiding in the Bog and broomball games. It was time to make a run for the Carolina Wren!
I had the advantage that I would be biking into the wind the whole way there, so then the way home would be much easier! On the negative side, while I had permission to enter the driveway and yard of the house hosting the wren, but I would to be outside while I waited for it to show up and it could be 30-40 minutes between visits!
After a 9 mile ride to get there, I was hoping that I could see the wren quickly so I wouldn't have to stand too long waiting for it and get cold. When I am biking, I generate a lot of heat and that keeps me warm, but I knew once I stopped moving that I would stop generating so much heat and I would get cold.
I was quite happy that the wren popped into view only a couple of minutes after I got into position! That is a good bird for the year, and then I could get biking again before I got any colder!
Victory selfie! (Don't try to zoom in to see the wren - I didn't get it in this shot!)
On the way home, I went right by a spot for Eastern Screech-owl. I checked the hole, but no owls in sight!
Miles Biked on this trip: 18.6
Miles biked year to date: 76.3
Species count: 30
My bike birding eBird profile:
