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Wren guard - do you still put it up??

15 years ago

Do you still put up a wren guard if you cannot monitor to make sure the Blues accept it? Our blues have built their nest in a nestbox that the wrens had been trying to build in, I had been removing sticks. The Blues started egg laying on Saturday and have three eggs so far. I put up a spooker on Saturday and the wren guard today. The thing is the box isn't in a spot that is easy to monitor and during the egg laying the parents really don't go in the box that much. I haven't seen any wrens anymore nor have I heard them. I have three empty nestboxes that have stayed empty, no sticks added. What would you do? Leave the guard on and see if there is an egg tomorrow or leave it on and take it off later this evening to make sure the momma can lay an egg tomorrow? What would she do with her egg if she wouldn't accept the guard and go into the box tomorrow morning?? I have no clue if they can not lay an egg if they were planning on.

Donna

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Comments (4)

bbcathy
15 years ago
Donna I just had new wrens start singing and putting sticks in a box today. There are 2 boxes up the road in the neighbors yards with wrens and 1 across the street that already have nests and I thought I was in the clear and then more showed up today. What time did you put it on? Usually I put it on in the morning so they have all day to get used to it and figure it out. (which they do) If it is just a piece of wood or cardboard in the front only I would leave it. That is easier to figure out that with the sides on like I use. I myself would have put the guard on first b/c the hosp have never gotten around the guard yet. Sometimes I don't even use a spooker until fledging is near if I have a guard up. Gees that is a tough call. I don't think you can ever say you are safe from the wrens. Wish I had better advice.
Cathy
dzyg
Original Author
15 years ago
Cathy, I put it up around 1:00 or so. I don't usually bother the nestbox in the morning at all because of egg laying. They were still around the area by the nestbox yesterday but I never saw them trying to go in. However I don't normally see them right around the box usually anyway. I have short sides on it to make it sturdier, they are maybe 1 1/2 - 2 inches down. I left it on last night as I wasn't sure what to do. I figure I will try to check it around 11:00 today and if there is no new egg I will take it off and then do a nestcheck later in the afternoon. I just hope this doesn't scare them off, they aren't scared off that easy if they have eggs are they??

Donna
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Comments (5)
They shouldn't of had a problem with the guard if you had it up like an extended roof, do you have sides on the guard or just the front part? That being said I did one year have a pair of Blues not accept a guard. I couldn't watch but I put it up during egg laying and when there wasn't an egg laid the next day I took it off and she laid her egg in the afternoon instead. Figured I couldn't jepordize the eggs and left it off. Somehow we got through that nesting without the wren bothering them. They both wanted to box at first and I was freaking out! I say try again with it just up, if you see them go in (it may take a bit as they will be very wary of it) then put it down but maybe shorten it at first so it isn't as long as it should be, once they accept that then make it longer. If they won't accept it when you have it on but just up then maybe they won't accept it at all. Once she begins incubation though I wouldn't mess with it anymore as she needs to stay on those eggs. Good luck! Donna
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DUH !! Sorry Lisa- I looked it up on the internet. Not too bad for a mentally challenged ex- PE teacher, huh? Seven years ago, I had to have an 8 yr old show me how to turn on a computer at the public library!!
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Comments (6)
Rebecca, Good idea! It would be very durable and quick to install. My cardboard ones have sides, so if you figure out a way to do that with a tag I would be very interested in your result. With cardboard, I always put the "decorative" side toward the box so as not to possibly spook the birds. I think I would also do that with a tag and leave a 2.5-3 inch gap between the guard and the box. Please let me know how it turns out if you give it a try! I'm glad you started a new thread on this subject. The other one had gotten sooo absurd. That's partly why I resorted to Latin in that one. But Latin strains my brain and I am so glad to be typing in English again!
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A lot of people ask me about wren guards, so I put up some information and photos about what they do and how to make one: http://www.pbase.com/gymell/wren_guard
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bbcathy
15 years ago
Donna I usually don't put it on until after the "egg of the day" has been laid. I guess I didn't make that very clear. Mine don't come around the box much during laying in the daytime either but when they see something new on their box they normally want to investigate and this gives them until tomorrow to figure it out. I have never had any birds abandon a box of eggs or nestlings and I have put them through monitoring, spookers, guards, baffles, feeding babies, nest changes and you name it. Come to think of it I don't know why any birds ever come back here. LOL I'm glad they do though.
Cathy
dzyg
Original Author
15 years ago
Cathy, techincally I did put it on after the egg of the day was laid as I put it on at 1:00 in the afternoon. It was the following morning that I checked the box at 11:00 to see if she laid another egg and she hadn't so I took it off. Normally during egg laying I don't bother the nestbox until after 12:00 or if I see the momma leave the nest. I thought maybe yesterday she would have laid another egg but she didn't. We have four eggs and she is incubating as of yesterday.

Donna

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