Carolina Wren

This shot was of the singing adult a day or so before the nest was raided by a Chipmunk which killed and ate both of the chicks. I had seen the Chipmunk in the area earlier and assumed it was eating wind blown Maple Keys which were lodging in the ornamental shrubs near the nest. It entered the base of the shrub and scampered up to the top where the nest was located. By the time I arrived it was in the nest with just it's tail dangling out. Before I could remove it, it killed both chicks and proceeded to eat them at the base of the shrub with the parent chipping away at it. When it finally left the shrub the parent pursued it over open ground pecking at it. Within 15 minutes the parent was back at the perch singing again though it was not using it's previous song.


10D
500mm x1.4
1/80 sec, f/7.1
Mode: Manual
Metering: Evaluative
ISO: 200
Flash: External E-TTL
Flash exp comp: -2, BB