When I was at the allotment before we went on our hols I opened the shed and was greeted by 5 baby wrens all fluttering around inside and mum sat outside shouting at me. Well, unfortunately I didn't have the camera with me, but they were so bonnie, so I made sure I propped the door wide open and sure enough, during the course of the day, they all fledged. Well, I forgot all about my encounter, until today with Mark came to the alloment with me to have a tidy up in the shed, (and collect spiders to feed his pet lizard) and we found their little nest. They built it in a tiny gap between the roof and a wall support, on the top of my old rake that I don't use any more. Do you think I should take the nest away, or leave it? Would mamma and pappa use the same nest again??
I have heard that if they liked the location of the nest, either the female or one of the offspring will re-use the nest next season.
My Mom had a 'Dipper Gourd' hanging on her back porch several years ago that had a Wren as a year round resident. Every year there would be a baby or two and after they fledged the Mom would still be there....or it could have been one of the fledglings that decided to stay each year. But they loved that gourd for years.
My Grandmother always cleaned out the wren boxes every year. I tried not to clean mine out, and they built on top the old nest, until it was so full one of mama got stuck in the entrance hole. That was few years back, so now every fall i clean them out. The wrens didn't come back this year, a first in our yard. Hoping for next year, we sure missed the morning serenade.
They found a funny place to build, on top of that rake. Hopefully they will have enjoyed the stay so much that they decide to take up permanent residence. I like wrens, they're nice birds to have around.
will only wrens use previously used nest? How about robins? We had a nest right outside our window that had baby robins. afterwards I took the nest out to keep it. But robins came back this summer and built another nest in the exact same spot. so I think I will leave the nest in there this year and see what becomes of it next year.
I love Carolina Wrens! They are so much fun to watch. They may come back to the same place to build, but they will build another nest on top of that one, like Peppersage said. One built a nest in a hanging basket of pansies on my back porch this spring. They like being around people I think. I feed them mealworms on the patio table, and they don't mind at all if I sit right there and watch them eat. If I don't get the worms out on time, they sure do make a fuss!
When we first moved here, my wife used to hang my jeans on the clothes line to dry. One day she went out to bring them in and a bunch of sticks fell out of the pants leg. The next time she hung them out the same thing happened and the next time too. She about went crazy trying to figure out what was going on. The next time she hung them out she hid behind a tree with the binoculars and watched a momma wren carry sticks by the mouthful to build a nest in the pant leg. She hasn't hung them out since!
Petunia, yes robins will repair and use the same nest, for years, at least my mom's do. Where do wrens put their nest when there are no wren boxes, rakes or pant leg handy? Does any body know.
the male wren builds more that one nest in the spring and then he takes the Mrs round each one and she chooses which one to lay her eggs. (UK). Last year a male built a nest on top of the swallows nest but it was never used and the swallows returned and took back their nest.
Ahhh, interesting Carol. So do you think he will come back and titivate the nest next spring to use again?
Well he may Emma but it will all depend on his Mrs, won't it?? She may be the fussy type and think, Oh I don't fancy this shed again, am sick of looking at them tools LOL. Mind you she will say, it was nice and cosy in here, OK lets give it another go.
