My husband and I went on a long day hike following a tributary of the Verde River this last weekend. We saw many signs of spring in the lupine, Desert Marigold, Indian Paintbrush, ladybugs and leaves just starting to bud on the Arizona sycamore trees. But to me the most beautiful and surest sign of spring was the musical cascading notes of the dimunitive Canyon Wren.
One of my fondest memories from my time as Cottonwood ranger was when a Canyon Wren decided to make his home for a while in the breezeway next to my ranger station. He would sing for hours with his song reverberating against the cabin walls. I don’t know how many females he attracted, but I know he captivated me!
If you have a hike to Phantom Ranch coming up, be sure to keep your ears and eyes open. Canyon Wrens are quite common down in the rock cliffs! You can see the little brown bird flitting about, and once in a while, the joyous sound of his song will wash over you. I think they purposefully sing in the rocks knowing that the notes will reverberate. Show offs!
An excellent site for learning about the Canyon Wren and listening to their beautiful song:
