Marsh Wren Nesting Season Has Begun At Bear River MBR

Male Marsh Wren surveying his territory – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Marsh Wren nesting season has begun here in northern Utah and in my opinion one of the best places to see, listen to and photograph them is from the auto tour route at Bear River MBR. Listening for the singing males is a great help in locating these tiny wrens in the freshwater marshes and wetlands that surround the Great Salt Lake, the males seem to only stop singing this time of the year when they are looking for food, looking for nesting materials or placing nesting materials in the multiple nests that they build.

Listen to a recording of their song here.

Male Marsh Wren with nesting material in his bill – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2500, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Hint: If you go slow, whether driving or walking, you are more likely to see these small wrens, or any small birds for that matter, than if you are zipping along at a fast pace. It only makes sense, right?

Once I have located a Marsh Wren I like to sit, wait and watch them because if they are building a nest in the area they will come back time and again which allows more opportunities to photograph the wrens singing, with nesting materials, snatching midges from mid air and going about the business of being a wren.

Singing Marsh Wren male at Bear River MBR – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2500, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Last year I spent about an hour and a half sitting along the auto tour route in a mobile blind (vehicle) observing and photographing this industrious male Marsh Wren as he sang on his territory, foraged for insects, searched for nesting materials and added them to the nest he was building. Occasionally I saw other wrens in the same area but they were silent so I suspect that they might have been females observing his nest building skills and listening to his saucy songs.

Male Marsh Wren checking me out – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I love to photograph the Marsh Wrens at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge whenever I have the chance but I have found that they are far more visible during the nesting season than they are at any other time of the year. I can’t wait head up to the refuge and photograph these wrens and the rest of the birds I know I’ll find there as soon as the weather allows.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to view more of my Marsh Wren photos plus facts and information about this species.