Songbird

Marsh wren

Cistothorus palustris

A small, energetic wren of cattail and bulrush marshes in Whatcom and Skagit counties, heard far more often than seen until it climbs a stalk to sing.

Seasonality

Peaks in May, June. Present all year in lowland marshes; most visible from April through July when males sing from exposed perches.

Behavior

Sings a rattling, bubbly song from the tops of cattails, often clinging with legs split between two stems.
Males build several dome nests woven into the reeds, and females choose one.
Stays low and hidden in dense vegetation outside the singing season.

Photography tips

Spring mornings are best, when males sing from the tops of the reeds; frame the bird against the out-of-focus marsh behind it.
Find a spot along a boardwalk or dike where cattails are close, and wait for a bird to climb up rather than following it.

Field ethics

Stay on boardwalks and dikes; trampling the reeds destroys nests.

Where to look

Lummi Flats & Red River RoadWhatcom County · Peaks in May, June
Tennant LakeWhatcom County · Peaks in May, June
South Fork Valley at SaxonWhatcom County · Peaks in May, June
Wiley SloughSkagit County · Peaks in May, June