Thursday, August 14, 2008

What is wrong with this wren?



Don't be alarmed. He isn't sick or injured. This photo is just for fun.





Has he been partying all night?
Is he staggering home at dawn with a terrible hangover?
Is he crying?
Has his wife just thrown him out.
Are the kids driving him nuts?
Does he have the worst headache ever?
Did his girlfriend dump him for a more stud-ly wren?



Probably none of the above. He was scratching his head on the rough bark of that limb when
I caught him with the camera. Actually, I think he is enjoying a good scratch. You have to admit he looks pretty silly. The photo just seemed to need a moral story to go along with it;)

Everyone please have a great weekend.

31 comments:

tina said...

He looks dead! Shocked me at first. Glad he is okay and just scratching his head. Great picture.

Anonymous said...

What a great photo Marnie! (and funny caption ideas) It's neat you could capture such a shot ~ I never seem to have my camera when I see things like this!

Anonymous said...

What a great photo Marnie! (and funny caption ideas) It's neat you could capture such a shot ~ I never seem to have my camera when I see things like this!

Roses and Lilacs said...

Tina and Kathleen, I promise he isn't dead or even sick. In fact I have a shot of him 30-seconds later singing long and loud.

I wouldn't gross anyone, including myself, out with photos of sick or injured birds.
Marnie

tina said...

I know you would not do that Marnie:)! He actually looks more asleep. Really getting into the scratch. Must've been an itch he had and you are so good with the camera to catch him!

100 Thoughts of Love said...

yes he does look like he had a little heat stroke!

Cindy Garber Iverson said...

I immediately thought, "Whoa is me!" after you assured us that he wasn't dead. I guess bears aren't the only critter that like a good scratch against a tree.

Cindy

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Cindy. And horses too. The really get into the backscratch on trees:)

Pat, LOL, heat stroke, that would be me;) I hate the heat but really, it hasn't been that hot this year.
Marnie

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad he wasn't hurt. He did look dead. Excellent photo.~~Dee

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hi Marnie,
Wow, you managed to capture a very cool moment there! What a great shot you got ... at first I thought maybe he was asleep, but scratching, that makes so much more sense, since it was during the day!

I love your bird pictures, and wish we had more good ones to share from our end of the world...

IVG

troutbirder said...

Yes I've had days like this myself.

Rose said...

Fantastic photo, Marnie! I thought perhaps he was taking a nap, but I enjoyed reading all the possible scenarios you came up with:)

Just read your post about the chickadees--I'm glad that story had a happy ending, too. Toby the Tabby looked a little too eager to help with the housing problem:)

Your photos of birds are excellent; I find they're the hardest of all creatures to photograph.

flydragon said...

He definitely has a huge hangover from the all night party, which he thought sounded like a pretty good idea at the time, but now wishes he hadn't attended.

Dog_geek said...

How funny! He defiitely looks like maybe he overdid it at the clubs last night!

A Wild Thing said...

It's a females lot in life...do the house cleaning, feed the family(find the food), chase off predators, plan the trip south...it's a stress allergy. Just makes me itch thinkin' about it.

Wonderful shot, have a great weekend Marnie!!!

sharon

Sherri said...

Marnie, you cracked me up with all your comments on what could be wrong with this little bird!! What a great pic and I'm glad he was only scratching his head!

Cosmo said...

Hi,Marnie--I love this shot, and I love your bird stories. By the way, did you see Les's shot of ponies scratching on The Tidewater Gardener?(http://atidewatergardener.blogspot.com/2008/08/mt-rogers-grayson-highlands-state-park.html)Sorry about the url--I haven't figured out how to do links withing comments. Anyway, the photo's toward the bottom of the posting--I thought you'd like it.

André Lemay said...

Very nice capture of the bird scratching, but I love the way you turn it into humour.

Gail said...

Great photo! I was at first worried there was something wrong but you totally fooled me! Glad to know another cool fact about birds...they need an itch scratched just like the rest of us!

Gail

Cynthia's Cottage Design said...

Awwww, that is so cute and funny too! I love your flowers below too, Gorgeous! Hope all is well and your enjoying your weekend!

Meems said...

Hi Marnie,
That's a very good photo... caught at just the right time. I'm going with partied all night and feeling a little foggy in the head. :-)
Meems @Hoe&Shovel

Daisy said...

Amazing timing with that photo! I also enjoy a good scratch against a tree... now I have another animal to think of/channel when I back up to some scratchy bark and shake a little to hit THAT spot I can't reach!

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Or how about, "Oh, I shouldn't have had that last helping of worms! Anybody got a Pepcid?"

beckie said...

Marnie, what a great shot! I loved the 'what ifs'-all fit very well.:) It's good to losen up once in a while and not take ourselves so seriously.

Roses and Lilacs said...

Good morning all.

Dee, he wasn't hurt. I think that is actually the look of pure bliss you get when you scratch the perfect spot;)

IVG, I wish I had one of those 500mm DSLR lenses to get really good bird shots.

Troutbirder, I'll bet you have some interesting stories.

Rose, yes Toby the Tabby is always eager to help. He would especially like to help the wrens who sit it the trees and scold him.
Marnie

Roses and Lilacs said...

Flydragon, isn't it fun to make up stories about pictures you see? I agree, looks like too much nightlife to me.

Dog geek, who knew birds went clubbing all night?

Sharon, stress allergies? That's a thought. I think wrens have 2 or 3 families each season. That would give any woman stress allergies:)

Sherri, it is such a silly photo. If that bird knew his photo was online he would be mortified:)
Marnie

Roses and Lilacs said...

Cosmo, I didn't see the photo you mention. I'll check it out. I love to watch horses scratching. They really get into it and do some strange contortions.

Andre, thank you. It's kind of rare for me to get a funny shot of birds. They usually are so serious going about their business.

Gail, I would have been worried too if I hadn't been there to watch him scratch his head and neck and then start singing.

Cynthia, thank you. I had a very quiet weekend. The best kind:)

Roses and Lilacs said...

Meems, that's my favorite too.

Daisy, we'll want to see some photos of that!

Morning glories, LOL, a diet of creepy-crawlies would make me look like that too.

Beckie, I agree. We all need to laugh every chance we get.
Marnie

marmee said...

that is so weird looking but what a capture. it looks like he/she just can't take it anymore, i know that look!

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Marmee. I know what you mean. That is my Monday morning look. I don't suffer from too much weekend partying, it just that I hate Mondays:)
Marnie

Diana LaMarre said...

What a great shot! He looks like he has a hangover to me.