Bird Netting Failure

by Elizabeth
(Berryville, Virginia)

When we bought our 30's Colonial Revival house on 3/4 acre in the upper Shenandoah Valley of Virginia 12 years ago, the previous owners left behind a small clay wren house because it was occupied. From this happy beginning came the unofficial name of our new home, Wrenwood.

Life in our new home with a young family quickly became busy, active gardening had to wait until our own young "fledged," and wren activities went unnoticed. So the last two years have brought new opportunities both to garden and to observe the comings and goings of the natives.

Last year's efforts included the addition of a strawberry tower near the back door. The limited yield went mostly to unseen birds. This year, bird netting was added when the yield began to look more promising. A few plump berries were enjoyed, but the strawberry tower was not a huge success.

Then we noticed a nest in one of the vacant planting pockets. Hmmm...who put that there? When we noticed a bird behind the netting, there could be no doubt it was an active nest. So this morning, I peeked, without too much parental objection, and there is at least one tiny young wren, snug in its nest beneath the bird netting.