Tough Little Mama

 

Northern House Wren in the act of fledging

Late May and early June brought our wrens back to the Sitting Porch, sporting a brand new name, as the House Wren species was split this year. Now there are Northern House Wrens and Southern House Wrens, plus some new Caribbean wrens. (I predict that, like many other splits, the US species will either be "lumped" back into one pretty quick, or the powers that be will discover that the two species hybridize with "hybrid vigor" along the line of demarcation like it was their job.)

Anyhow the early season went by in a normal fashion. One of the pair hated me with a thousand passions, scolding furiously if I so much as walked past the screen door...on the inside. The other half of the equation hopped around my feet, landed on the flower box next to me if I dared to sit in my chair out there, and generally seemed to find me downright acceptable.

The chicks hatched. The one I assume to be the mother, as she spent much more time in the box than the other, hated me ever more vigorously as the bug shuttle began. The male just yawned and shrugged.

Insect Door Dash in the side yard

Then her partner vanished. It is hard to tell if you are seeing one or two wrens in the never-ending insect delivery brigade on the porch, but I was only noting an angry bird with not a sign of Mr. Calm and Laid Back. I lamented him. I am sure if she was capable of lamenting the hen wren did too, as both parents normally feed the nestlings. 

A couple of days later I was watering plants in an upstairs bedroom when a wren calmly hopped up to me and perched on a corner shelf. I was sure it was Mr. C&LB. I couldn't catch him though, and he vanished again. I think he got through a gap into the attic.

I felt terrible. I looked and looked but no luck.

Meanwhile Ms. Ultra-Karen continued to feed the kids alone. I read in Cornell's Birds of the World that a male that had lost his mate was documented making 1217 insect deliveries in one day. She probably didn't bring that many bugs but the shuttle ran dawn to dark, with pauses only to natter at me to get offa her lawn...or porch as the case may be.

Today the babies fledged. There was much cajoling on her part to get them to come out into the world. They were pretty reluctant. I don't know how many there were altogether, but babies came out of that tiny white bird house like clowns out of a circus car. I can't say I was sad. it is always great, every single year, when I can finally water the plants on the porch in peace and guilt free.

A couple of hours later as we ate our lunch in the living room there was a soft window strike on one of the big windows....

From the inside!

Our visitor was an adult Northern House Wren. Did the female accidentally find her way indoors? Was it one of the other pair that has taken up housekeeping on the other side of the house?

I don't know. We managed after a few tries to shoo it out the door to the Sitting Porch and it flew off as if its tail feathers were on fire.

I do know that I will be watching...and hoping...to see an extra tame, really, really friendly Northern House Wren in the coming days. I sure hope that it was Mr. C&LB.

Also, I wonder if the missus is a new bird this year and the male was half of the old pair...a lot can happen to a bird that weights less than four tenths of an ounce on a trip from here to Central America and back. If she nests again this year or returns next, I hope she gets used to me though. Last year's wren adventure was much more peaceful.

I don't like you!