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

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

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...

Hi Konrad, Kinda sad to lose your RBNH nest... but this is nature at work I guess. Yes, we lost 1 bluebird egg to a HOWR 2 seasons ago. We saw him fly to and into the nest box, and come out with the pierced egg still impaled on his beak! We were waving our arms and shouting at him, as he dropped it on the ground and flew off. It all happened in 30 seconds or less. We discouraged him with a squirt gun for days and the parent blues dived bombed him mercilessly whenever he came near. He finally stopped coming around, and I'm happy to say the other 3 eggs hatched and fledged successfully. Hope your Nuthatches try again for you, Kenn Here is a link that might be useful: Latest Slideshow