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Vernon  

Rocks for a small bird

A small project near a Vernon park on Middleton Mountain may help protect a bird called the 'rock wren', not often seen in the area, according to a naturalist.

A small songbird with a curved bill, the rock wren is considered at risk because of its vulnerability to human disturbance and disappearing habitat.

Naturalists monitoring bluebird boxes in the spring of 2015 were alerted to the loud ringing sound of a rock wren perched on a rooftop in the area.

“There were in fact two rock wrens and the pair sang from rooftops, excavators and tall rocks throughout the season,” said P.L. McAllister of the North Okanagan Naturalists Club. “Because the proliferation of houses and condos marching up and around all sides of the (Middleton Mountain) park would endanger any nesting of this uncommon bird, an attempt has been made to preserve some disappearing habitat.”

Surprisingly a housing developer stepped in to help out.

John Jacobsen of Aldebaran Homes had staff use their heavy equipment to create a pile of large rocks at the beginning of a trail to the Middleton steps.

“Of the five different species of wrens in the Vernon area, the rock wren and canyon wren are uncommon to rare,” said McAllister. “The rock pile has been placed by the Middleton steps in the hopes that the rock wrens will return from their migration south in the spring of 2017 and consider this the right habitat for breeding and nesting.”



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