Came out to my patio to write about.....something.....anything.....and in the midst of my search for sentences I looked up and noticed this little lady spying on me:
My house wren has returned! I have two of those nesting boxes in my patio, and that one has hosted a house wren for the last three summers. I'm not an expert birder by any means, but the house wren has become one of my favorite little song birds. Tiny bird, huge voice, stubborn and scolding personality.
I got acquainted with this little wren by way of its song. As I worked in my patio gardens I would notice a loud, shrill bird song blasting over and over from not far away. The more I listened the more it seemed to be directed at me. I could never find the source of the song, but later I learned why - the tiny singer was well-hidden in the black walnut branches that hang just outside the fence corner where her nesting box sits. Eventually I began to notice the tan little bird darting in and out of the box, and when she became a bit more comfortable around me she would sit on the fence above me and scold me with her song. Like she's doing right now. Even after several summers of sharing this space she still seems to think I'm an intruder in her patio!
To give you some idea of her size, the hole you see her head sticking out from is barely the size of a golf ball. But her song fills the patio and easily spills into the yard. I was shocked the first time I connected the bird to the song - I still watch and listen in wonder that something so small can create such powerful noise.
I've wondered where she's been, as I've spent a lot of time out here the past few weeks between writing and picking berries and tending to flowers; her song has been noticeably absent. Almost as soon as I saw her tonight I discovered what may have been keeping her away - a robin is also nested on my patio fence, and mama robin doesn't seem very happy to share her territory with mama wren. The robin has attacked the wren several times as I've sat here, but the wren keeps coming back and announces her refusal to leave via that great big song. I thought the robin a bully, and was pondering putting an end to her bullying by way of my pellet gun, but then I did a little reading. Turns out the wren isn't without fault in this dispute; wrens are known for attacking nests of bigger birds, rolling out eggs or even young chicks as a way of protecting the wren's territory. So now, instead of wishing ill on one species or the other, I'm just going to enjoy my front row view of the mama bird battle.
I searched for some information on wrens, wanting to learn where they migrate to (southern U.S.) and when they usually return (didn't find that). What I did find, on this site, was an outstanding recording of the wren's song. When I played it my wren went nuts....she flew back and forth above me, from the oak tree in front of my house to the fence to the walnut tree. And then she would sit on the fence and answer the call from my laptop. For the longest time she sat, even after I stopped playing the recording, and stared at me while blasting her call. She's a good sport, though; she eventually just hopped back in the nest box and poked her head out to quietly watch me for a while.
The buzz and roar of traffic is ever-present. A medical emergency helicopter just roared in and out of town. There are two dogs that bark far too often a couple of houses down. And don't get me started on the incessant yammering that comes from the apartment complex that adjoins my yard. But within my fence, thanks to a bird the size of a large mouse, I get a little connection to nature while surrounded by the cacophony of man. I'm so glad to see her back, and look forward to a summer of scoldings from my little feathered friend. Oh, she's gone...I might have time to pick a strawberry or two before I head in without getting yelled at!
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