Wow, it does sound like house wrens. I'm in Atlanta and even here, HOWR are "supposed" to be a winter bird but kind of boarder line. I'm really surprised that they might be as far south as you are this time of year. I'd never laid eyes on one, during any season, till a couple of years ago and now, unfortunately, I see or hear them every single spring summer. I've been lucky so far but neighbors on every side have had eggs tossed and sticks in boxes.

Did you find sticks in the box? That would be a proof positive of HOWR activity. If not I would not bet on it as a sure thing. Did you all look around the immediate area for the eggs?

This really is a mystery since you are so far south.

In my experience, House Wrens or House Sparrows will sit somewhere nearby and announce to the females that they've found a nesting site. Can you hear the distinctive call of the HOWR? They are pretty loud, so it's fairly easy to tell if they are nearby. Last week I had the unfortunate experience of a HOWR destroying a BCCH nest. I heard the HOWR before I saw him. As soon as I heard that annoying call, I ran out to check on the BCCH nest, but it was already too late. He had torn out nesting material and punctured the eggs. He never added any sticks to the box, and he eventually left. What a waste.

Janie, no sticks in the box. I'm not sure that I've ever seen a house wren in this area at ANY time of year. My friend did check the immediate area and didn't see the eggs on the ground.

Kendra, I just went to her house and we spent a couple hours outside looking and listening. No bluebirds or house wrens around at all - and the only singing I was sure of was the mockingbirds. Very sorry to hear about your BCCH eggs.

Also, I should mention, I've read that house wrens are normally found in wooded areas - my friend's bb box is at least 200 YARDS from the woods (or more), and there aren't many trees to speak of at all, as this property used to be a pasture. My nesting box is about 250 - 300 FEET from hers, so I'm wondering if we should put up a wren guard? I'm just now reading up on those - never worried about them before since we didn't think we'd see them here in summer. I do have 4 eggs in mine as of yesterday.

Thank you Janie and Kendra, and we welcome any more input!

It seems really unusual that there would be House Wrens in southern Georgia during the summer. They are supposed to be winter residents there. The punctured eggs however lead me to think that it would have to be a HOWR. It is also weird that there were only two eggs punctured and they were all still in the box at first: from my own experience with HOWR attacks, they puncture ALL the eggs and drop them right outside the box. It may have been a HOWR that did everything, or it could have been a HOWR that punctured the eggs, and then something else may have eaten the eggs. According to a birding book that I own, House Wrens are "common in open woodlands, shrubs, farmlands, suburbs, gardens, and parks."

It's really hard to pinpoint exactly what happened here. Make sure they get a predator baffle and a sparrow spooker on their box for the next time the Blues lay eggs. Wren guards are often ineffective after an attack has already occurred on a box. If you are going to put up a wren guard, I would suggest either relocating the house by atleast 100 feet, or rotating the box 90 degrees. There is a very simple design for a wren guard using the corner of a Cheese-It box which can be put up and taken off very quickly.

Usually when one of our boxes gets attacked by HOWR, we never see or hear them... one minute the eggs are there, the next they are gone. They are very sneaky. Good luck.

Ken

I think a reason only two were damaged the first time we noticed might be that my husband was mowing, he kept noticing a bird flying in and out of the bluebird house everytime the tractor got too close to the bird house but he always thought it was the bluebird mama because we knew we had 4 eggs in there. We checked after he was done mowing for the day and that is when we noticed that two of the eggs were punctured. We called Lori for ideas and she sent us a link on house sparrows. We had to go somewhere shortly after that and did not have a chance to recheck the nest or the house sparrow info until the next morning; three of the 4 eggs were gone, the remaining egg was punctured. The eggs look very like the house wren damage examples of punctured eggs we found online.

Well rats! I was hopping it would not be a HOWR attack but it sure sounds that way. As you've read from others, they are quick and darn near impossible to keep away once they've found that entrance hole.

When I think back to all the easy nesting seasons we had here BEFORE the HOWR started sticking around longer and longer during nesting season. I'm still shocked and surprised that you'd have them that far south but sounds like that is the case. I am sorry!

Well, I sure do hate to hear that it was probably the house wren. ONE MORE thing we have to worry about messing with our Blues! :o(

Thanks to all of you for your input.