Visitors at My Front Door

She's such a tiny bird....................but what an amazing one.

Here she sat a few days ago in my back garden, enjoying the Spring sunshine and singing loudly from her large repertoire of songs.

This Carolina Wren has made a permanent home on my front porch since late September of last year. She apparently found the perfect nighttime roost in a corner of the porch ceiling, arriving there each evening at dusk and sleeping until the light of dawn. I know because I set my alarm on a couple of occasions just to be at the window to watch her wake, stretch, and fly away as the first rays of sun touched the porch!

When I left for England in mid October I said goodbye never expecting to arrive home two weeks later and find her still there. In December, when darkness fell earlier and the nights turned much colder, she decided to try a new boudoir, a porch hanging basket complete with a fast dying Boston Fern. Each evening she announced her arrival by singing loudly while perched on a metal obelisk in the flower bed, then flying to a wicker chair and actually looking into the dining room - then she'd fly up into the fern for the night. On a couple of occasions I actually saw two Wrens get in that plant at night - guess love was already in bloom on those cold nights!Needless to say, the dead plant has hung brown and crisp, all Winter, I just couldn't take it down.

A few weeks ago I noticed the faux flowers in the wall planter were in disarray and while working a little floral design magic I spied the beginnings of the nest. I knew it was a wren's nest as they usually build one in the kitchen window box. Watching, I soon saw the male coming and going with twigs, grass and leaves. A male wren starts to build several nests in different locations then takes his mate on a tour, like going on the Parade of Homes, and she inspects each one. Of course the gal always gets to choose when something as important as a home for her babes is at stake, right? The tiny mom-to-be then finishes the nest building, lining a small depression at the back of the cavity with pine needles, grass and soft bits and pieces to cushion her eggs. I'm amazed, and thrilled, that she picked this nest so close to where we come and go all day long - guess she trusts us and thinks we're good landlords after spending six months rent free on our porch! The nest is deep and one has to glance in at an angle. On Easter Sunday I looked in too fast not knowing she was there and scared her, she flew out and there inside were two teeny tiny speckled eggs. Today I can make out three and as they usually lay 4-6 there may be more within the next couple of days.

Guess the Winter floral display will not be changed to something a little more Springy for a while - so the holly spray will have to stay!

Below is a closeup of the nest - as you can see the entrance is somewhat sideways and mom and her eggs are way back to the left. I love these Wrens because they are fastidious in their nesting habits - I know from watching the kitchen window box families from other years. Sometimes dad takes over feeding the first brood while mom renests - having 2 and sometimes 3 broods a year. When the babies fly off and the nest is finished with, it is spotlessly clean - much different from the finches who leave their nests so dirty!

This photo is the Carolina Wren from the Birds of the Carolinas Field Guide by Stan Tekiela - a little book I refer to often when learning about the beautiful birds visiting my garden.

Hopefully we'll have a new family at the front door in a few weeks - I'll keep you up to date on the happenings and perhaps will be able to get a photo of the fledglings to share.