Guest Tenants in the Shop

Mother (or father?) Carolina Wren bringing back a tasty mouthful of "pill bugs" or "rolly pollies"

A piece of duct tape now covers the switch that controls the exhaust fan in our make-shift shop. A pair of Carolina Wrens decided it would be an ideal location for a nest. We figure fan blades and nesting birds don't play nicely together, so the fan is out of commission for the next week or so, at least.

This is classic behavior for these precocious and highly vocal little boogers. As a kid, I can remember a pair that was certain our newspaper slot would make the perfect home -- despite the fact that my mom cleaned their collection of sticks and pine needles out on a daily basis. I've heard of nests being made in about anything and everything, but they ideally choose a cavity that is ~6-feet off the ground and well protected from the elements. Our fan fits that description.

This species is another than pairs for life. Mom and dad share nest building and child-rearing detail. They can have up to seven young in a clutch, so the "selfie" I took with my phone may have only captured a couple of the disgruntled youth.

We are on the northern reaches of the Carolina wren's yearround range. They don't migrate much, if at all, so bitter cold tends to limit northern expansion. Mild winters, like the one we just experienced, are kind to the species. Overall, their numbers are thought to be on the increase.

I'd love to know if one of these adults is the same one that was hanging around the bunkhouse last summer. One morning in August, I arrived and opened my truck door to get some air while finishing a phone call. Before I knew what happened, a wren flitted into my cab and landed on my steering wheel, jumped to my knee, then to the ground near my brake, and was out with a scrap of yesterday's lunch . . . all while I was still in my seat. Gotta love close encounters with wildlife!

My daughter loved this pic. It was not an easy one to capture. I was perilously dangling over tools and supplies inside the shop, while both parents chastised me from outside. Meanwhile, the youngins just looked on with disgust.