This week I heard the distinctive “pretty, pretty, pretty” spring song of a male cardinal, and Joyce saw her first robin. Usually when you begin to hear those boys singing, and start to see robins braving the cold winds, winter is at least showing us it’s backside as it prepares to take its first steps away from us. I also watched an interesting scenario from our kitchen window.
We have a roof over the deck that is just outside our kitchen. When we added the roof, which consists of metal roofing on 2×6 lumber, we also installed an outdoor ceiling fan beneath the roof by partially “boxing-in” a small area between the 2×6’s to hang the fan. As I looked out the window, a small bird was collecting bits-and-pieces of this-and-that from the yard and flying into the small boxed-in area above the ceiling fan as if preparing a nest. Even stranger was the fact that the little bird with its long, curved beak and upturned tail appeared, for all the world to be a wren. “Surely this can’t be already,” I questioned. I posed my query to Chuck Otte, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent for Geary, County Kansas, and walking encyclopedia for all things backyard-bird related.
Of the half-dozen or so species of wrens in Kansas, Carolina Wrens and House Wrens are the two most likely visitors to our backyards. Carolina Wrens are year-round residents while House Wrens are migratory, leaving in the fall and arriving again mid to late April. Chuck said that from my description, what I saw was likely a Carolina Wren. He went on to say that once the hours of daylight start to noticeably increase in late winter, many of our Kansas resident backyard birds get into “nesting mood,” and you can also hear an increase in birds’ songs, even on cold and cloudy mornings like we’ve had.
The males of both Carolina and House Wrens anticipate nesting season by scouting-out several proposed nest sites, then put small amounts of nesting materials in each, readying them for the females viewing, sort of how a realtor stages furniture in a home in preparation for viewing by prospective buyers. Then, they take the females to each proposed site, and if any of the sites are acceptable to her, she chooses the one she likes and they mate. Female Carolina Wrens are known to toss-out most of the nesting material contributed by the male and start from scratch. Female House Wrens usually use at least some of the male’s contribution.
Carolina Wrens often have two broods a year, and egg-laying for the first brood starts mid-March to early April. They are known to choose really odd, out-of-the-way nesting spots like above our ceiling fan, and don’t often use nesting boxes we provide. Male House Wrens typically arrive in late April to begin preparing their nest options to show the females, which arrive a week or two later. House Wrens also often hatch two broods a year, and eggs are laid for the first brood around mid-May.
Chuck says wrens are everywhere and are easily attracted to our yards and gardens for food and for potential nesting sites. They feed primarily on insects, so one good way to keep them around is to use pesticides very sparingly so as to leave them plenty of high protein insects for snacks. Nest boxes are another way to attract them, especially house wrens. Chuck sent me plans of the wren nest box he prefers. It’s a very simply house with one side that opens to clean the box, and can be built with minimum cutting and just a general knowledge of tools and construction. There are numerous different nest box designs that will work, but Chuck emphasized two things; make the entrance hole only 1 inch in diameter, and DO NOT put a perch on the box, which will deter sparrows from trying to use it.
So, to complete the initial story, what I likely saw the other morning was a male Carolina Wren beginning to prepare nesting site possibilities to offer the ladies when they get here. Not sure I’d put-up with my chosen lady tossing all my stuff out in the snow when she finally chose a spot. Although, I did come home from Junior High one afternoon to find mom had tossed all the stuff out of my bedroom onto the lawn because I hadn’t cleaned my room as “requested” … but that’s a story for another time. Let me know if you want Chuck Otte’s wren house plans and I’ll email them to you. Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!
Steve can be contacted by email at [email protected].
