meadowdale birding

The most interesting thing I learned about birds was hands down the anatomy of a woodpecker tongue.  I had no clue and would have never had guessed that they have separate sockets that curve around their skull to contain their extremely long tongue.

Birds are important for keeping insect populations in check, without them things might get out of hand.  Another very important function is seed dispersal and general nutrient cycling.  When berries are eaten seeds are usually included, and are deposited with a coating of bird droppings which gives the future plant a head start with a rich layer of compost.  Some seeds actually require digestion for germination, and would not germinate without this.

The Pacific Wren is an impressive bird, specifically because of the amount of sound comes out of such a small organism.  The small bird is not much larger than a golf ball, and has brown feathers and a dark brown beak.  Likes to hang out in the undergrowth, weaving through twigs and branches, landing for a moment and looking about before moving on as if combing through the undergrowth for food.