Winter Nested Carolina Wren

by Johanna Waller
(Greenville, NC)

I have a hanging basket in my carport that has the coconut hair on the outer portion and some soil inside.

In early November I noticed a small round hole on the side of it that had been apparently made by a small bird. It wasn't until I came home after dusk one night, and as I passed the basket, it swung a little and I saw something fly away.

After these past few months, the bird, now known as "Sweety Bird" from my 3 year old granddaughter, has a pattern of flying back to the nest around dusk, and then leaves between 6:15 and 6:45 early dawn in the morning. I've never seen its face.

Its back and tail feathers stick out just enough to mold with the outer portion of the basket. The back feathers are light brown spotted with white, and the tail feathers are a medium brown.

My husband has actually been able to "pet" the bird while it's in its nest. It'll be interesting to see if the hole gets bigger when our little bird finds a mate.

I would love any suggestions on how to establish the best living environment for this little bird. I have a feeder in the back yard with Black sunflower seeds. Should I hang suet close by? Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

Email: mjwallerATsuddenlinkDotnet