Wrens nesting in Xmas wreath

by Louise Wright
(Lake Spivey, Ga)

This year I forgot to take down my Xmas wreath on the front door. In the summer time we use the front porch a lot.

We have had a lot of cold weather in Georgia this winter and we haven't been out on the front porch very much.

Then we started to hear tapping on the front door and couldn't figure out what it was. We also noticed every time we opened the front door twigs and pine straw would be on the floor in the hall way. Now we know.

We have birds nesting in the wreath. It is such a perfect nest. I think it is wrens. It is a small bird with a pointed beak and a white stripe along its eye.

It has been building the nest for about a month now. My husband looked in there the other day and saw three eggs.

We have to make noise before we open the door so that the bird will fly away before we open the door.

Sometimes we forget and the bird flys into the house. It is difficult to get out and it gets scared.

Tonight it was raining and I thought I would go sit on the front porch and just listen to the rain.

I banged, knocked and rattled the front door before going out so that the bird would not fly into the house nothing happened so I went out.

I thought I would just peek into the nest to see the eggs I shined the flash light into it and here comes the bird right in my face. I felt so bad I had disturbed her.

I don't know what is going to happen when the babies come. We can't stop using the front door. I hope they all survive.

We thought about moving the wreath somewhere else but I think the nest would just all fall apart even though it looks so sturdy.

Louise Wright 04/05/09