Installing Wren Guard with Hatchlings Present (1 Viewer)

[chiarraila]

So, I installed a nest box near my house a month and a half ago. I'm new to birds, especially nest boxes.

A pair of Carolina Chickadees are nesting in my box. 6 chicks hatched 2 days ago. Now I have a House Wren singing on my roof and I've seen it dismantle an old House Sparrow nest in one of our gutters 25 feet from my nest box. I'm seriously sick to my stomach worried that this Wren is going to kill my Chickadees.

Unfortunately, I didn't know wren guards existed until yesterday. I would be able to fashion a guard relatively quickly and get it on there this afternoon. Is it too late to attach a wren guard to my box? Will this be too disruptive with the newly born chicks? Which do you think would be better to do at this point: wait it out, or attach the guard?

Another possibility: The Wren seems to like a bush on the same side of my house as the Chickadee box. The box is facing slightly away from this bush. If I rotated the box so that its back was to this bush, would that decrease the likelihood that the Wren would spot the box, while minimizing disruption to the young and adult Chickadees (compared to drilling a wren guard to the front of the box)?

Absolutely beside myself and miserable at the moment... I feel personally responsible for the well being of the birds in the box I made. Was so excited yesterday when I saw the chicks had hatched. Any info from those more experienced in this would be welcome. Thanks.

 

[chiarraila]

I put up a wren guard this afternoon... It could be more efficient, but I was paranoid about the parents disagreeing with it. Next time I'll make it extend a little farther down and make it a little closer to the hole. But it should help. I suppose I can only do what I can do. Hopefully the wren keeps himself busy elsewhere. I'm still considering rotating the box to face further away from the areas the wren frequents.

 

[Boro Birder]

Can I ask what direction is the box facing, east, west ext, birds like the boxes to be facing a certain way, ie east, west ext, and did not know USA Wrens will kill and eat other birds but then I suppose what species of Wren it is. British Wrens are our second smallest bird and eat nothing but insects.

Damian

 

[chiarraila]

The box is facing East, away from our winds from the West. House Wrens in North America are very small as well, however they are very aggressive and will pierce eggs and kill young (and occasionally adults), then evict them and their nest from a cavity and claim it as their own. They then fill the cavity (natural, nest box, whatever) with sticks. The males make lots of partial nests, with all but one going unused in the end. They don't eat the eggs/young, just kill them and toss them. ||

The idea of the overhanging guard is to hide the hole from view. It also may hamper the Wren's entrance (they enter from above) into the hole. Either the Wren was already aware of my box (installed the guard too late) or the guard didn't work well enough.

I'm sad to say that the Wren has removed my baby Chickadees from the box.

The parents were feeding and brooding as normal just a few hours ago. I heard the Wren outside a few minutes ago, ran out. Saw the Wren holding a stick and singing on the laundry line 30 feet from the box. The Chickadees fought briefly with it in a large tree nearby. Wren flew off. Chickadees flew off.

Dad returned with food. Went inside the box, came back out still with the food and flew off. I checked the box. Nest is still intact, but empty.

Taking the box down this afternoon as the Chickadees won't try to lay more eggs. Don't want the Wren having anything to do with it. Not happy... Not sure if I'll put it up next year or not... Definitely not in the same spot.

Guess there's nothing that can be done about it at this point...

 

[chiarraila]

The babies at 1 day. ||

 

[DownyWP]

(((chiarraila)))I'm so sorry for your loss... :-(

for next year: http://www.sialis.org/wrens.htm

 

[chiarraila]

(((chiarraila)))I'm so sorry for your loss... :-(

for next year: http://www.sialis.org/wrens.htm

Thanks. I will make sure to review the info again before I do anything next spring.

I'm not sure I'll be able to put up any boxes next spring, as the wren now knows of the only location I'm able to safely mount a box (my laundry pole). I live in a cemetery. May be able to convince the church to allow me to put up a few poles a little further from the trees next spring. Will have to see.

At least I got a few fledglings out of some of the other nests I've been monitoring this spring.