Wrens

Hi people, have spent half an hour or so, watching a baby wren being fed by mum in one of our bird boxes. It took an age to build the nest and much time was spent with camera. Photos still need to be transferred.

Although the light wasn't ideal and missed out by about half an hour, but was a joy to watch between stints of decorating. Anyway, does this seem late in the season to you? All young tits were out and about more than a month ago.

 

Hi Rustler, well done in having a wren use one of your nest boxes

Sometimes if Wrens lose their first lot of eggs or chicks possibly due to predation or a change of weather which makes it harder to find their natural food source,they will often try again once the weather etc improves for them.

As Wren losses are great like blue tits and other birds due to the conditions mentioned above they will often have two broods usually large quantities so that there is a chance that more juveniles will survive the winter months ready for breeding next year.

Very large birds like Eagles,Ospreys,Herons and many sea birds will only lay one or two eggs and in the case of Ospreys sometimes they will lay three eggs but will have only one brood a year because it takes many months from egg laying to fledging and lots of effort is put into that one clutch there isn't enough time to fit in two or three broods unlike the smaller birds which from egg laying to fledging is a matter of weeks not months.The bigger birds usually give up for that year if they lose the eggs or chicks when small putting in more effort to build themselves up ready for migration.

Looking forward to seeing any photos you have of them...Thanks

 

This is from memory @strongylodon will tell us better, male wrens can start to make 6/7 nests, in the end the female choices the nest she wants, so while he was busy building yours he was also busy building others all on his own

 

Wrens will have two or even three broods in a good year. ....so not late at all, completely normal.

 

We've got at least 2 nests with chicks atm that I know of. Never fails to amaze me the loud alarm call the adults can make, coming from such a wee body! Fingers crossed our 2 cats only set off alarms and don't cause any permanent damage.