The Box on the Snag - a sequel

As of April 30 it appeared that the pair of eastern bluebirds that had begun building a nest in the box on the snag had given up and gone elsewhere – the account was posted here.

It wasn’t long after the bluebirds moved on that a male house wren began singing from the top of the snag – it was May 10 to be exact.

 

He also began taking twigs and sticks into the box. Within a week a female house wren showed up and began examining the interior of the box –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few more days passed before she started to bring dry grasses and take them into the box –

Were they actually going to raise a brood in the box? One can but hope.

I waited until I thought eggs would have been laid and then put a dental mirror through the entrance hole – nothing to be seen other than dried grass.

The wrens seemed to disappear for a while and then, all of a sudden the male reappeared to sing on the snag and repeatedly enter the box. Hmm says I, maybe I missed the eggs. When the bird’s activity continued for a few days and it looked like food was being taken into the box it was time to take out the dental mirror again, put it in the entrance hole and look around. Nothing to be seen again, our hopes for a brood of young wrens were dashed once more.

And then on June 19 the head of a nestling appeared in the entrance hole. It’s good I don’t have to use a dental mirror on a regular basis –

Now the adults were frequently bringing food –

Occasionally two nestlings could be seen at the entrance –

The young ones were now loud enough that they could be heard through our open kitchen window –

Until the adults brought more food –

The next day all was quiet at the box, the young had fledged, entered the wider world and left the box on the snag behind.