For The Birds

the wren

three inches big

terrorizes the bluebirds

kills the babies

bad things can come

in small sizes

Life with the birds is an ongoing soap opera this year - never know what will happen next. The bluebirds that nest under the eaves were evicted by wrens last year. Who would know that what sings so sweetly could be so vicious?! But undaunted they came back this year and rebuilt the nest. The eggs hatched and as I sat at my computer I could hear excited twittering as mom or dad brought in the food. The downside is that on warm days this end of the porch smells vaguely like a chicken coop. 

Mr Bluebird is very defensive of his territory. If the chipmunk who lives in the rock wall nearby oversteps the boundary line he gets a fly-by and a peck on his whiskery nose. That upsets the robins and they fly at the bluebird in defense of the chipmunk - good lord there is a definite caste system out there.

A few days ago the wrens moved in again - dozens of them and one went into the bluebird nest and threw the babies out and killed them even tearing off their wings in the process. The grass was littered with tiny bodies and I was very upset. I buried the little things in a flower bed nearby and thought that was the last of the bluebirds for this summer; however they came back and were rebuilding the nest. This morning there was a wonderful flirtation going on, on the fence as Mr Bluebird started his courtship rites again. Much fluttering and flying and Mrs Bluebird seemed to have a headache as she was quite uncooperative. In the middle of this r-rated activity the wrens appeared, there was some flying and fighting between them all but one wren did get into the bluebird nest.  I am not sure what happened but I went out with my yard broom and banged on the outside of the entrance. Don't know if it did any good but the wrens are now wary of the old witch who lives inside the house :)  

I have not seen the bluebirds since, so they may have given up and gone away to find a new nesting site. Meanwhile the wrens are trying to get inside my shed and one went into the gap in the stone wall where the chipmunk stores his seed. He may have met his match if Chippie finds him there! 

Footnote 6/13/12


Well undaunted, the bluebirds are nesting again; flying back and forth to the nest. The wrens did not win that battle. Hopefully Mrs Bluebird is laying another clutch.

Another story - I heard scratching in the mud room at the weekend and thought I had a mouse, could not find anything.  The third time I saw a bird near the window.  Suspicions grew and I went outside to check the dryer vent. Sure enough the wren had filled the opening with dead cedar twigs!  I took out about a pint or so of twigs, then put duct tape across the opening and considered myself lucky to have found it instead of having a dryer fire! 

 Later on in the afternoon I went through the mudroom and there was such a ruckus - a wren was clinging to the window strut and fluttering and twittering at me in wren profanities! So I told it that we were now even for their killing the bluebird babies. What a nasty old Brit I am!