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Wren guard - do you still put it up??

18 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
18 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
18 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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Kerfs on the outside sounds like a great idea. Have you seen her feet up close? We have had some blues with foot deformities on the forun before. Harold I think , had 2. I would go so far as to add a perch (under the Wren guard) if she is still having trouble. Make the Wren guard so it is at least 3" out from the box, or try the "training guard" first. I did just a short cardboard flap till my gal got the idea then did the full blown Wren guard. Add them togheter,less stress,they alreadty know the spooker!I am babysiting 18day old hide and peek babies at the moment! LOL
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Anita, I have a similar situation in that my bluebirds are back for a second brood. The house wrens didn't bother the box during nest building (and the box had been empty for about a month and there were no sticks). Mama laid her 1st egg this morning and this evening, a house wren took out that egg and smashed it at the base of the box. I think that now I'd say "the rule is that there are NO RULES!" I've had house wrens attack several eggs or several chicks, never just one egg. As far as putting up a wren guard, the problem you have is that the house wren has been in the box. And where there is one house wren, there are usually more near by. The reasoning behind the general rule of putting the wren guard on the box when the 1st egg is laid is that the female is less likely to abandon the nest if she can't figure out the wren guard. It's also hard to say whether your female is 'with egg' and I'd hate to see her not be able to get into the box to lay her 1st egg, if that makes any sense. You could wait till it's afternoon and the bluebird hasn't laid an egg and put it on. If she can't figure it out, I'd take it off till the afternoon of the next day, etc. Good luck, Linda in NW GA...
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Comments (5)
I have no idea when they would be "positively" safe but I'd wait at least 7 to 8 days with bluebirds and 12 to 13 will smaller species like Chickadees or Nuthatches. Linda had a thread here regarding a titmouse baby, 13 to 15 days old, still being harassed by HOWR entering the box. It was a single baby, the HOWR had already gotten rid of the others when they were younger, but the HOWR didn't seem to mind that it was close to fledging age and too large to physically remove. Thankfully that little TITU did fledge safely. In my last nesting of BHNU I left the wren guard on till they were 14 days old.
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bbcathy
18 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
18 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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