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Carolina Wren Nest Wrecked

15 years ago

Hi everyone.

I usually post on the Bluebird Forum, but this year I have several different nests going and everyone is having trouble.

A Carolina Wren built a nest in a storage cabinet on my deck. All was going well - everytime I looked Mom was sitting there so I didn't have a chance to see if there were eggs or not.

Well today I got to see. The nest was torn up! At the bottom under all the leaves and stuff were 4 little eggs. I left it alone hoping she'd come back, but no such luck. I have seen a couple wrens in the yard, but if the Mom is out there, I don't know where. Also, don't know what to do with the eggs. Should I try to "rebuild" the nest and put the eggs where she could see them in hopes that she'll come back? Or because they've gone this long without incubation will they be ruined anyway.

It's so strange to see these perfect little eggs when everything else is a mess! Whatever happened, it didn't happen to those eggs.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. I live in the Atlanta area.

tara/fairychick

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Comments (2)

donnalovesblue
15 years ago
Tara, I would leave the eggs alone as there is a good chance Mama hasn't really abandoned them. She knows where they are. Carolina wrens normally build a dome shaped nest and will add material on top to conceal it. I had them nesting last year in a wall planter and the only time I checked the nest was before she laid eggs and you couldn't even see the nest, as the bottom seemed pretty deep into the dirt.

Since you posted this on Friday, do you have an update? I'd love to know.

Donna
fairychick
Original Author
15 years ago
I've watched and waited but the mother hasn't returned. The nest is completely destroyed. One of the eggs was broken, but the others look fine.

The original nest was dome shaped, but sideways. She was really well hidden in there and protected. No telling what got into it...a cat most likely.

I've just started seeing a couple of wrens around again, but none near this nest. I hope she'll build another one and try again.

Thanks for your response and caring.

tara
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Wow, it looks like she left you the mother lode there, Sherry! ;-) I think the most I ever had in a bunch was about 24. They're my very favorite caterpillar to raise. I love to put a few lengths of vine in a big storage container and watch the cats scurry along on their way to somewhere that I guess they have in mind. They always make it look like it's urgent. Ha. That's a Carolina wren for ya, building a nest in such a strange place. One year I had a pair build a nest on one of the shelves in my workshop after those little opportunists sneaked in there a few days when I had the door open and made themselves right at home. I didn't shut the door again until after the babies fledged. I have bluebird houses stacked up in our corncrib and one year the Carolina wrens made a nest in one of them even with it turned upside down. My dad had one build a nest in his fishing net one yet. Out of all of the birds that I get here, I call them the most eccentric. :) They sure are cute little things and they love the peanut butter/cornmeal/shortening mix that I put out in a log feeder for them in the winter. Cathy
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