The fate of the happy wren family

We had a very strong storm last week and our wren box fell off its string. I knew it would have been abandoned but didn't think to check it until the other day. When I picked it up, one tiny egg fell out.

Busy little wrens

Once again the wrens have made their home in the wooden bird house my aunt made. They've been very busy this week and I think I've heard tiny baby bird chatter! If this is the same pair that's been here all season, they are quite a resilient family. They had to put up with 2 1/2 weeks of landscapers dredging, digging, chugging, churning, and stomping right through their front yard. Then there were 2 days of shed builders, the dog who likes to lie nearby, kids playing... I'm surprised they've made it this far, and thankful we have something fun to watch out our backdoor!

Tiny Bird

For being so tiny, wrens sure are fast and noisy! They chitter so much as they bounce here and there. It's like watching in fast-forward and my book describes it as "hyperactive." 

Wrens

These are the wrens that have been hanging out in our garden areas. I followed one as he slipped into a canopy of leafy plants. When he realized I was there he flitted to the fence where he scolded me. I apologized but he wasn't ready to forgive me, and he flew away.

Another wren was in our front yard by the perennials. 

Then I struck gold when I looked out the kitchen window and saw three of them sitting in a row on the fence. I grabbed the camera and went outside. I got even more scolding for these photos.

Weekend Update

• I'm thrilled to report that the Indigo Bunting returned twice today after gracing me with his presence for the first time yesterday.

• Wrens, wrens everywhere! They have been hanging out in our garden areas so there must be a nest somewhere nearby. I received many baleful scoldings from them as I got too close in my attempts to photograph them. 

• Lately I've been really lazy about filling the hummingbird feeder. A wave of guilt washes over me whenever I look at it, and the hummingbirds haven't returned (from what I've seen). But yesterday there were two sweet little butterflies resting on its red plastic base so I felt better knowing someone was getting something from it. Speaking of butterflies, they're everywhere! It's fun to watch them.

• A cowbird with a most embarrassing situation visited our feeder yesterday. As it turns out, humans aren't the only ones who must watch for bird poo bombs from above. Yes, that's what the streak of white is on his back. Hopefully it was an accident and not a malicious attack, but when you've got a reputation like the cowbird, you never know...

Bathing Wren

You can hardly see this guy at the top of the sedum bush, but I believe it's a house wren. He (or she - it was moving pretty quickly) was "swimming" through the leaves and stalks of this sedum. I think it was bathing because the plant was still wet from when I had watered.