Wren's Nest

For the last few weeks we've had to be really careful when using our shed as a pair of wrens decided to build a nest and raise a family inside.

In the spring we noticed a small nest made of leaves and moss balanced on a small shelf behind the door. The nest remained empty for a while before the wrens used it to rear a second brood - they would have raised the first lot in a different nest. The male wren constructs a number of nests each year and the female chooses which one to use. She did a nice job lining this one with feathers and they went on to raise at least five baby wrens.

Every time we went into the shed we got dive-bombed by an adult wren trying to chase us off and he or she would then sit outside the shed scolding us loudly. Towards the end we tried not to enter the shed at all so as not to disturb them. The last of the chicks fledged last week after taking flying lessons inside! This period is when they are at their most vulnerable; they leave the nest and spend a day or two hopping around on the ground. This is completely normal and it is important to leave them alone at this stage and not try to put them back in the nest. At one point there were four tiny wrens at once fluttering around inside the shed. The following day they had all flown and the nest was empty.

Click to see photo

Submitted by Tigger