songs in the grey woods – ovenbird
He can be a bit monotonous. A bit of a scold. He reminds me of a rusty hinge. He says teacher-teacher-teacher, repeating his song through the woodland. He is the Ovenbird.
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His scientific name is Seiurus aurocapilla. Seiurus (which I remember as ‘serious’) is from the Greek meaning ‘tail shake’, a reference to the characteristic upward flip of his tail. The name aurocapilla means golden-haired referring to his crest of orangy feathers. The Ovenbird is olive-brown, with a streaked white breast. He has a white ring around his eye, a white throat and a dark line below his cheek. He looks a bit like a thrush, but is a large warbler.
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His serious nature and his call of ‘teacher, teacher, teacher’ make me think I’ll include a poem about his ways in my project about one room school houses in New Brunswick. This is how my poems usually begin, with a whisper from nature.
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Copyright 2016 Jane Tims
nichepoetryandprose 
Love the oven birds. I’ve seen them in the undergrowth in Fundy National Park. Shady little characters! Thank you for the etymology of their name: so helpful.
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rogermoorepoet
May 23, 2016 at 9:47 am
They love to scuffle in the leaves. It’s one thing I like about birds, their behaviours are so different from one-another.
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jane tims
May 23, 2016 at 9:50 am