Another feathered family

[Spotty-ewe]

I hung some ornamental coconut items outside my shed a couple of years ago and although the bird house is used sometimes in the autumn or winter for roosting, they generally remain unused with the proper bird nesting boxes we’ve attached to trees being preferred. However, just after the wee dunnocks fledged I noticed moss sticking up above the bottom of the hole of the coconut bird house and when I tried to look inside a wee wren flew out. I Googled wrens and sure enough the male constructs several globe-shaped nests from leaves, grass and moss and his female chooses which she likes best and lines that nest with feathers. They generally lay 5 - 8 eggs which take 13 - 18 days to incubate (by female only). I was excited to see 2 little beaks through the hole last Thursday and every time I look I see 2 beaks, although yesterday I think I may have seen a third further back. They are very difficult to photograph as it is dark in the coconut and it is often silhouetted by the light on these hot sunny days. However I managed to get a photo this morning of one of the parents perched on the coconut to feed the chicks before it flew away again. And I have managed to get a few of the 2 beaks but they aren’t very clear so I’ve added this one of one wide open mouth asking for more. They eat spiders and insects and insect larvae which is why we never see them at the bird tables.

I worried during all the windy weather that they’d become ill or worse still the coconut would blow off the hook. Hubby put extra string up to secure it further so this hopefully won’t happen. This last week I’ve been worried the chicks will over-heat because of course the coconut isn’t ventilated. Luckily the coconut is never in direct sunlight except for a very short time before it sets, but it does get VERY hot under the canopy of the shed. So I’ve been hosing down the concrete under the coconut during the heat of the day to keep it a bit cooler and pray they survive until they fledge in another 10 - 15 days. What a long time they take to fledge compared with the dunnocks who take 11 - 14 days to fledge, And those in my hedge took 10-11 days. Wrens take 15 - 20 days to fledge. The weather is due to change again tomorrow and already the wind is getting up so it is back to ‘rock a bye baby ...’

Anyway, I just had to share this with you. By the way, we’ve seen three of the dunnock fledglings several times now. I’m afraid the 4th appears to have not made it, but 3 out of 4 is very good. Fingers crossed they live long and healthy lives. 🤞🤞

[suzannah16]

I have pyracanthus growing at opposite ends of my house with blackbirds nesting in one and song thrushes in the other. robins have nested in a box and are now somewhere in a hedge. never seen robins in the garden in summer before. linnets everywhere, dunnocks collecting dog fluff for nests. I can't get any more photos as the bushes are now too leafy for a clear picture so just peak as I walk past.

[Spotty-ewe in reply to suzannah16]

What a lovely variety of birds you have Suzannah. They aren’t easy to photograph so I was very lucky our dunnocks nest was so low in the hawthorn hedge and that the wrens chose the ornamental bird house. I hope they don’t regret it when the wind is getting up again as I write. Our 2 robins have vanished for the summer and swallows have moved in. So far we haven’t had a robin use either of our robin’s nesting boxes, but the tit boxes are occupied by great tits and blue tits. Aren’t we lucky to have so many lovely birds? Thanks for sharing Suzannah. 👍🏻🤗

[CecilyParsley]

Wow you are officially the bird whisperer ❤️❤️❤️Xx

[Spotty-ewe in reply to CecilyParsley]

That is such a lovely thing for you to say Cecily. Thank you. I wish I was, but I love them all anyway and do whatever I can for them. We are blessed to have such wonderful bird life and wildlife. They lift our spirits. Take care Cecily. 🤗😘xx

[CecilyParsley in reply to Spotty-ewe]

It is so true. Your knowledge and compassion is impressive. I love your posts. They make me smile and give me hope that with all this sadness and loss around us there is life. Keep safe and well xxx

[Spotty-ewe in reply to CecilyParsley]

Thank you so much Cecily. I’m so pleased you enjoy my posts, and I totally agree that the birds and wildlife make us smile and show us that life goes on even during sad and worrying times like these. You take care too Cecily and keep safe. Xx 🤗😘🐥🐥🐥

[CecilyParsley in reply to Spotty-ewe]

Thank you ❤️Xx

[svfarmer]

How wonderful x

[Spotty-ewe in reply to svfarmer]

So pleased you like them. 🤗😘🐥🐥

[honeybug in reply to Spotty-ewe]

🤗♥️🥰🙏

[honeybug]

👏👏👏👏♥️♥️♥️🥰🥰🥰

[Spotty-ewe in reply to honeybug]

🤗🤗🤗😘😘😘🐥🐥🐥

[stiff19]

So lovely 👍 there seems to be a twitcher in all of us 😂 and the lockdown has made us all look which has to be the good out of a bad situation. We are very lucky to have so many lovely birds I agree 👍 hope these lovelies fledge safely 👍🤞

👍🤗🐣🐤🐥x

[Spotty-ewe in reply to stiff19]

Yes a lot of us on here have had encounters with birds ranging from owls to tiny wee wrens. It is so lovely to have these creatures around us and we humans must try to give something back to them when so much has been taken from them in the way of habitat and food source due to clearing of woodlands and Hedgerows and the use of pesticides and weed killers. And when we have time to watch them as in this lockdown, they bring so much joy to us. Thanks for your kind wishes Stiff. I’ll let you know how the chicks get on. 🤗😘🐥🐥🐥xx

[stiff19 in reply to Spotty-ewe]

Yes definately spotty , look forward to know how they get on and of course agree 👍

My chook laid her first egg in the garden strangely, she was ambling in garden and decided to make a nest in dead pampas grass leaves. The following day she was in the run and gearing up to lay but pacing at the gate. My daughter said to get some of the nest she made and put it in nest box so I did that with just a little and she then went straight in one of the nesting boxes and laid another. But we found that in garden shed nested next to a tiny nest with a tiny dried out egg in it 😍

Very strange 🤷‍♀️ Would love to know what made the abandoned nest, may walk it over to nature reserve to see if they can help 👍

🤗😘🐣🐝xx

[Spotty-ewe in reply to stiff19]

That’s a good idea Stiff. They would know. 👍🏻

Regarding your chook laying outside, when we lived in Australia during the sixties we had outside toilets. The wee house held the toilet and a built-in box containing sawdust next to it. The sanitary collector came once a week, on a different day to the refuse collector, and he replaced the bucket and added fresh sawdust to your box. Well one of our chooks decided she preferred the sawdust box to the proper nesting boxes, so we always had to check it when collecting the eggs. We had a china egg and a plastic one full of sand which were left to encourage laying, but not in the sawdust box. They are funny about where they lay aren’t they? 😁

Good luck with identifyling the nest and egg. Robins can choose strange places but as you didn’t describe the egg or the nest I don’t know if it would be that. Let us know how you get on. Take care. 🤗😘🐣🐥💕

[stiff19 in reply to Spotty-ewe]

We now have 4 chooks as Dolores was being mean and without a friend so we went and got her a friend we named amber yesterday evening and Delores is happier and went in quietly and laid her egg in nest box today 👍😍

The nest is tiny the egg fragile, I picked it up and there’s a dead dry chick inside 😢 but hopefully this will help it be identified , it is not even the size of my thumbnail , the egg. Sad I broke it 🙈

I will let you know what they say at reserve. 👍😘🤗🐣🐝xx

[Spotty-ewe in reply to stiff19]

Curiouser and curiouser! I’d be very interested to hear what they say. Good to hear Dolores has settled with a new friend. A happy hen produces happy eggs!😆 👍🏻👍🏻🐥🐥x

[Tykle]

They must feel very safe in your garden. Wrens are usually more secretive than that. I'm sure they appreciate the hosed air conditioning in the hot weather!

[Spotty-ewe in reply to Tykle]

Haha! Thank you Tykle, I hope they felt the benefit. The are being rocked to sleep at present as there is a strong wind today. At least they won’t bake today. 👍🏻👍🏻 Take care. 🤗😘

[Horsewhisper]

Hi Spotty! Just love the pic of the coconut nest and the babes inside - what a great shot of a hungry chick! Mr and Mrs Wren must really appreciate you hosing the concrete to keep them cool and then stabilising the nest with string so that it doesn't blow around in the wind. I am sure the birdies know when we try an help them and they reward us with their company and choose our gardens to nest in. All very subtle and I am a firm believer in this. I hope you are doing ok and keep us posted with the wren's progess! xx

[Spotty-ewe in reply to Horsewhisper]

Hi Horsewhisper. Glad you like the photos which considering I was using my iPad aren’t too bad, but your brilliant new phone lense would have got much better shots. 👍🏻. I’ll keep you posted with their progress and I look forward to seeing more of your birdie photos when the opportunity arises. I’m keeping quite well at present thanks Horsewhisper except for recurring nosebleeds. 😑 But no pain at present 🙏🏻, so that’s a good thing. I hope you are keeping ok too. 🤞🤞Take care. 🤗😘

[Horsewhisper in reply to Spotty-ewe]

Oh sorry to hear about the nosebleeds, that’s not very nice. There’s always something to contend with isn’t there? Yes keeping ok here, glad it’s cooler today and to have some rain on the garden. We found a tiny weeny nest that must have blown from a branch - it didn’t have any eggs in it. I’ll take some pics and post them on here - I’ve done a quick google and I’m wondering if it might be a wren’s nest? It looks so cosy and snug! Will post it later for you to take a look and see what you think! 🐦 🥚🤗😘

[Spotty-ewe in reply to Horsewhisper]

Glad to hear you are keeping ok and enjoying the cooler weather - me too. 👍🏻 And yes, the garden has been gasping for rain so very pleased to have had some (10mm overnight).

I understood that wrens build globe shaped nests with their own entry hole in it so I’m not sure it will be a wren’s. When you photograph the nest put a teaspoon or better still a ruler next to it so it is obvious what size it is. You and Stiff both have mysterious nests. It will be interesting to discover what bird built them. I have a very good nests and eggs book here so hopefully it and Google will help us solve the mystery. 🤞 Others will probably like to see it, otherwise I could send you my e-mail address if you like? Looking forward to seeing the nest. 🤗😘

[Krazykat26]

Spotty Oddie strikes again!! 🤗😹

Marvellous pics of your wren family..well done!! 👍🌈😽😽Xx

[Spotty-ewe in reply to Krazykat26]

😂😂 Thanks so much Kat! I hope you are keeping ok . Hugs. 🤗😘

[thestorm]

Hi spotty, it's like "Gilligan's Island", with the coconuts swaying in the breeze, and singing birds. Your shed, is now a cabana, tropical paradise for the wrens. You have paradise in your lovely garden.. You need a sign, birds of paradise, all welcome.. So sweet... all my peace, blessings, Love, thestormy sunshine

[Spotty-ewe in reply to thestorm]

😆😆 Thank you Stormy. They certainly are all welcome - the more the merrier, except for the sparrowhawk who occasionally introduces terror into the garden. Fotunately we haven’t seen it or evidence of it for some time now. 🤞Fingers crossed he’s found another area to terrorise.

Any word of how Flutter is getting on? I hope you are keeping better now Stormy. Love and hugs. 🤗😘