The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe....how about The Wren

The Wren.

Been at least 5 years she has been with me. Heard this beautiful singing one day and saw her sitting on a powerline. Didn't know then but
do now that they are beautiful song birds. Also tremendous spider eaters. They walk down the stringers in the wood framed barns,
peeking down in the cracks where the humps are located. Seen them crawl up and under a riding lawn mower hood never mindful of the
smell of petroleum products; hopping around machinery, up under the shop work bench looking up for them on and on.

This one has had her nests in my tool boxes. First two were in different boxes and in the top, because I keep the lid up and it was a good
place. The last 3 years it has been in an old red roll around with the separate base and top part. One of the small drawers is missing and
the full width drawer is beneath making a perfect place to tuck a nest in the back and the ledge around the drawer keeps the chicks from
falling out. Unlike a lot of birds that (I'm told) build a new nest each time as part of the motherhood development, she reuses the previous
nest. That's how I know it's the same bird. Seriously doubt another "potential mom" would move into "another female's" house, much less
find it year after year.

She always has 2 eggs and both survive. The chicks learn to fly in the shop where it's safe. When she's ready she sits outside and
whistles for them to come out and make friends with their new world. Yesterday they were flying about chirping and all. She comes in and
feeds them and then..............you ainta gonna believe this but......they both return to the nest and go to sleep with their little heads pointing
out, side by side all nice and cozy. Was so cute.

I don't bother her with my working there and starting engines or making other shop noises don't seem to matter. She knows I won't bother
her nor her brood. Really amazing display of nature in action.

Have a pair of barn swallows that nest every year in shop. If the weather is bad and we close the big door we open a window for them.

When I worked for Farm Credit, I went to a nurseryman's place to look at his operation. He had one greenhouse full of hanging Fuchsias- All were gorgeous except a scraggly one in an outside row (the sides of the greenhouse were open). He said a bird nested in the fuchsia in that exact spot every year- they decided there was no point in sacrificing another new one every year, so they just pruned this one back each year after the birds had left. The employees looked forward to it, and he was a little concerned because she should have been there by now.

On the farm the clothes line was between the Cedars by the garden. The Cedars had two Wren houses hanging in them. Ma had a repeat visitor that insisted on building in her clothes pin bag that hung on the washline. Ma would have to get a spare set of clothespins for about five straight springs. Those derned little birds can build a stick house faster than our carpentry crew.

Got to where I hate the barn swallows. Wasn't bad at first. They did their thing and I left them alone. Then, they started dive bombing the cat. As soon as the younguns started flying, they assumed that to include US as well. Well, enough was enough - I declared war! Only had a couple of nesters last year. They did their thing and I left them alone.

Was the "exact" same story for groundhogs some years back. Dang kids always gettin' into trouble!

Noisy little sh**ts and very aggressive. They'll drive most any other bird from their nests. Especially bothersome to bluebirds and chickadees. I love the barn swallows, they keep me company when I'm mowing around the barns and tree swallows do the same when I rake hay.

There's one that uses my shop to raise a couple of clutches of eggs a year. This bunch fledged about 10 days ago. They decided to do it overnight. I opened the overhead door the next day, but they didn't fly out. They waited until ma and pa showed up and taught them the way in and out without a key, a crack between the roof and sidewall. Then one by one, they hopped, flew, bounced, and finally made it out.

You mention the little birds sleeping with their heads out. Back in the old days,my job every evening was to "turn the chickens". We had a flour barrel and the chickens liked to roost on the edges of it. My job was to make sure they were roosting with their heads pointed in.

I've also got a bridge in Brooklyn I'd sell you if you believe this one. One time I lost my chewing gum in the chicken house - picked up 5 of them before I got the right one.

Stan

Wrens are fun little birds to watch. They also like to build their nests under tractor hoods and dashes which can be troublesome at times.

Wrens are very fussy if near their nest when they have young. Growing up we had them nest beside our front porch every spring.

That's correct Mike. Wrens will not only fill every other birdbox with sticks to make it unusable, they also break eggs of other birds, or stab the other's babies. We call them 'jack the rippers'.... Love Bluebirds & Tree Shallows, hate wrens !

We used to have a wren house on top of the middle clothes line post. One summer i was painting that post and being a boy I teasing the momma wren inside the wren house. Momma wren finally had enough and came out at me. I flinched and the paint went flying everywhere. Mom and my sis didn't let me forget it for quite awhile.

We had a wren nest in a pot on the back deck. My son got a little too close and they all flew out, well sort of. They flew about five feet and hit the ground. The dogs got one but we were able to grab the others real quick. We slipped them over the fence but I doubt they made it. Just a few days too early. Son learned a lesson about leaving critters alone and not to get too close.

We have a mourning dove nesting in a hanging pot next to the front door. She had two eggs in there the last time I seen her off the nest. She's always been there for the last few days. We walk right past her right at eye level but she sits tight. I told the wife and boy not to bother with her, just keep walking by. Nice to see birds on a nest.

About 3-4 years ago we had mourning doves nesting in a hanging basket on the back porch.

First year they raised 2 babies, watched them leave the nest and hang around the yard until they could fly.

The next year they were fighting for nesting spots, some tried nesting up on a narrow ledge, but the nests fell. Those in the hanging baskets didn't make it, abandoned the nests for some reason. But there were dove everywhere! In the mornings I would see them getting out at daylight.

Now they are no where to be seen! Can't imagine what happened to them, they're just gone!

On the Mourning Dove, For about 3 years in the spring I had a dove build a nest in the same tree. None before and none sense. Have this
feeling she is a returnee too. My take on the doves is that other than that huge brown eye (giveaway) she sits motionless relying on lack of
movement and her color for protection.

Same here. In the fall we would get a rash of them the first good cold front. Now very few. Same with Teal, Lesser Scaup and Snow Geese. Now few if any. Haven't had a big butterfly fly through in a couple of years and no bag worms on my Cedar trees....thankful for that. Had a mid sized tomato worm green with a big 3 ring spot on each wing that I figured was the bag worm spreader. Haven't seen him. We had a big drought for about 5 years ending a couple of years ago. I think that is what changed their flyway patterns.

Lost me on the gum one Stan, what was your first clue? Grin

Good stories all. Thanks for sharing......a cute little bird with it's tail in the air and curved beak, mind of it's own, beautiful voice. Didn't know about it's bad habits. Yes I get fussed at when she is near and I want a tool out of that old toolbox.

We have a lot of swallows here too, no Martins any more. In late summer, the barbed wire fences are lined with that year's hatchings. They poop all over the porches and if a nest is near the porch swing she will sit in a nearby tree and raise bluebillyhell till you get up and leave. Soon as I start mowing, they hear it and come a flying swooping up whatever they can as they circle me.

Then the Egrets that eat the horse flies off the cattle and follow you when you are baling, just far enough out of the way to stay out of trouble, making you flench some times thinking you are going to hit one but they know better.

Then the Coopers Hawk whose shadow you can see on the ground following you while raking, waiting for you to flush a field rat. They are so beautiful when they have a fresh kill in a talon, on the ground before flying off, looking at you as you pass.

I'm not a tree hugger by anybody's imagination but I enjoy the company of these little critters.

Tex, regret to inform you but by your description that would be a "Carolina Wren" not a Texas wren.
Jim B,

Well she is in Texas. Doesn't that give her some credibility? Grin

Not as chewy.

"Quoth the Wren" doesn't quite have the same ring to it does it?

K