365 Urban Species. #345: Carolina Wren

Photos by cottonmanifesto. Location: Olmsted Park.

Urban species #345: Carolina wren Thryothorus ludovicianus

It wasn't until the late 1800's that someone noticed Carolina wrens nesting in New England. Now they're found in southern New England year round, picking through the leaf litter in the shrubby understory of the forests, and in wooded city parks. The Boston area in winter can be a hard place for an animal like the Carolina wren to eat all the insects it needs to survive. Other invertebrate-eating birds like the American robin thrive in northern cities, because of the ornamental trees and shrubs provide copious fruit in winter. The Carolina wren eats vastly more animal than plant food, and so must find larvae, pupae, and sluggish adult insects under the leaves in the bushes, and on the bark of trees. Severe winters push this bird south, so its range fluctuates. Future warming may expand the range of North America's most common wren further north still.

International Place

says_bomb commented suggesting I check out the area opposite International Place, where the Big Dig contractors have built/planted an arboretum. He just emailed me, with the planting list! Sounds pretty nice. You should check it out, I will:

Qty Botanical Name Common Name
1 Picea abies Norway Spruce
2 Carpinus caroliniana American Hornbeam
2 Larix laricina American Larch
1 Acer ginnala Amur Maple
1 Magnolia acuminata 'Butterflies' Cucumber Magnolia
2 Amelanchier arborea 'Autumn Brilliance' Downy Serviceberry
1 Carpinus betulus European Hornbeam
2 Prunus x incam 'Okame' Okame Cherry
1 Tilia tomentosa 'Sterling Silver' Silver Linden
1 Aesculus hippocastanum Horsechestnut
1 Cercidiphyllum japonicum Katsura
3 Liquidambar styraciflua American Sweetgum
22 Ulmus 'Accolade' Accolade Elm
1 Platanus x acerifolia 'Bloodgood' London Plane Tree
1 Ginkgo biloba Ginkgo
1 Sophora japonica Scholar Tree
1 Fagus sylvatica 'Tricolor' Tricolor European Beech
1 Castanea mollisima Chinese Chestnut
1 Platanus occidentalis Sycamore
3 Liriodendron tulipifere Tulip Tree
1 Fraxinus americana "Autumn Purple" White Ash
3 Cladrastis lutea Yellow-wood
1 Ilex opaca American Holly
6 Kalmia latifolia 'Olympic Wedding' Mountain Laurel
2 Koelreuteria paniculata Golden Rain Tree

Roslindale