Winter Wren Encounter
To the Editor:
Thank you for the great article
on winter wrens in the January/
February 2011 issue! It’s my
favorite bird. As is true in people,
sometimes the “plain Jane” turns
out to have the most talent. Non-birder friends cannot believe this
tiny, feathered “ping-pong ball”
is such an opera star in the spring.
I am lucky to live in the Northwest, where this little bird lives
year-round. I watch for them all
the time, and one regularly comes
up close to my front window as it
searches for bugs and spiders on
my porch swing.
Some years ago, during a rare
week of below-freezing winter
weather with a fair amount of
snow, I saw something odd. It was
early morning, and as I looked
at the bird house hanging off our
back porch, several sets of tiny,
alert eyes were watching me
through the small entry hole. Soon,
about a dozen winter wrens began
pouring out! They had bunked in
together to keep warm. It was a
wonderful way to start my day.
Thanks again. I love your magazine and read it cover to cover.
Emma Amiad
Vashon Island, Washington
Loon Platforms
To the Editor:
When I learned that “Platforms
for Loons” was to be one of the
featured articles in the upcom-
ing issue, I had to write. I have
been responsible for our lake
association’s loon platforms for
more than 20 years. Our lake of
360 acres (room enough for only
one pair) has been quite success-
ful, hatching 33 loon eggs, with
21 chicks fledging since 1991.
Loons usually produce two eggs
(rarely, three) per year.
