Have you seen the adult blues around yet? A house wren is bad news for you to get a second nesting now. They do dismantle the nests of other birds and once they know the hole is there they won't forget. I am guessing the wrens will start building in this house. If the blues come back and start a second nesting (assuming the other nestlings did actually fledge successfully) they will really be in danger of the wren peircing the eggs and or tossing the eggs or newly hatched nestlings from the box. A wren guard (as shown on sialis.org) works but only if it is up before the wren finds the nestbox and cannot be put on until after the first egg is laid by the bluebird.

Good luck!
Donna

Donna, have not seen the adults in two days. Only three of their eggs hatched, the other two just remained in the nest. The adults were feeding the babies, and I could hear chirping whenever the adults were at the opening. I was working in the garden on Tuesday and both adults were around and really nervous, would not go into the box until I went inside. I fed them later that day, and three times on Wednesday. On Wednesday I saw both adults chase away a mockingbird, so I know they were protective of babies still. I believe the babies fledged late Wednesday afternoon. Then yesterday (Thursday) I did not see them at all, and it was in the afternoon that I saw the wren destroying the nest, and found the two unhatched eggs on the ground with large holes. There was the definite smell of death in the box, and I assumed it was from the eggs. But I am still concerned that I never saw the babies peeking out the opening, as I have always seen in the past. If for some reason the babies had died, would the parents have removed them? I have put up an entirely different box on the pole now. Have not seen the wren nor the BB adults since yesterday. So many people in my neighborhood have bluebird boxes, and it is possible that once my couple is ready to "reload" :o) they will go to another box. I hope they come back here. I've had BBs for many years, never had this problem. I have a cacophony of birds around and never had any conflict til now. :o( I'll check out the Wren guard. Just never thought I'd need it. I thought HOSPs were the main enemy and I don't have any of them around.

It sounds like your nestlings did fledge. YOu are probably smelling that because the wren poked bad eggs. You said you fed the blues, they aren't coming to your yard to eat still? Normally if you offer mealworms the adults will feed these to the young even after they fledge. That wren could be a big problem if your blues do come back for the second nesting. Don't let it nest there. Hopefully if you leave the box open for a few days to air out, it will move on and then you can close it up for the blues again. Wren cause havoc in any birds nest anywhere near where the wren is nesting...even birds that nest in trees. They will poke holes in eggs and throw eggs or nestlings out of the nest. They are nasty little birds....

Donna

Donna, the adults have not come back to feed for some reason. In the past, they would come back and fly off with mouthfuls of meal worms, but for some reason, they are making themselves scarce. The wrens are such cute, tiny birds. It's hard to learn that they are so destructive. I took the original house down and have cleaned it well. It is lying open in my garden shed to air and dry out. The house I put up in it's place has never been used .. got it from WBU 4 years ago, before I realized it would be a problem to have two boxes in my tiny garden home back yard. After I posted the above response I looked out the window and saw the wren coming out of the new house. I ran it away and took the house down completely. There is nothing there but a WBU pole with a baffle. That rotten little guy comes back and sits on top of the bare pole. I saw him on the ground fighting with another wren a few moments ago. I guess I'll be looking at a bare pole until the wrens find another place to hang out. With blue birds, doves, cardinals, chickadees, titmice, sparrows, towhees, goldfinches, house finches, killdeer, hummingbirds all getting along in my tiny yard for years, it's a shame that a stinking wren has to show up and spoil it all!