Nested in Milk Crate

by Bonnie Simpson
(West Memphis, Arkansas, USA)

Wrens started hanging out under our carport this spring (2009), much to our surprise and delight. We're in eastern Arkansas near Memphis and don't recall seeing them here before.

Every time we came in or out of our kitchen door under the carport, Mr. Wren was yelling at us. "Che-Ee-eer! Che-Ee-eer!" If we didn't leave soon enough, he'd make a cross chatter, "Ch-ch-ch-ch!" over and over.

Our 21-year-old son found the nest. We had a small wooden table by the utility shed, and on top of it was a "catch all," an old milk crate made of heavy plastic, with odds and ends in it.

Under a plastic bag was the wren nest, and when our son lifted the plastic to show me, "Wak wak wak!!" Out flew Mrs. Wren, shrieking in alarm. Scared the 3 of us real good!

After that, we didn't peek for quite a while. One day when I didn't hear any wren calls for a while, I was worried, so I slipped outside and gently put my hand under the plastic into the nest.

I felt a warm little body, so I removed my hand instantly and went back inside. My husband had found a dead baby lying on the edge of the concrete carport, some distance away from the nest, a day or two before this.

We didn't know what happened, but it might have been stolen by a blackbird and dropped when the parents gave chase.

A day or so later, I got curious again, so I got a flashlight and went to the nest. When I shined it into the nest, two beady eyes looked back at me, but the baby didn't open its mouth or chirp at all. Smart!

Two days after that, I opened the kitchen door to see a sort of scruffy-looking wren traveling sideways across the brick of the utility house. It was moving toward the parent bird that was calling to it. Another peek at the nest later showed it was empty.

Of course we don't know how many eggs were laid or if they had more than one baby that made it to fledgling age. However, they've won my heart, and now I know that I must furnish food and lodging for them this winter.

They are not migratory, and if they go without insects or shelter, they'll starve or freeze to death.

I bought a small wren house and hung it near the original nest site under the carport roof. I also bought a larger pine box that can be converted from a nest box to a winter roost, and we mounted it on a tree in the back yard. I'll be buying suet or making my own so that "Our" wrens may survive the winter.

Sorry I don't have any photos; I wish I did.