Wren Couple Returns

I had the pleasure of watching a pair of Carolina Wrens prepare their nest in one of the birdhouses yesterday. They raised a brood in the same birdhouse about this time last year. There's a brand new birdhouse in our back yard but they chose the old one. I call it a bird "townhouse", and they chose the most dilapidated house. I figure maybe it's because the cracks on the side allow for more ventilation. I don't know. We are all creatures of habit, aren't we? I watched them for about an hour or so, flying back and forth, gathering sticks and leaves to cushion and protect their forthcoming eggs. They worked as a team. Sometimes Dad wren would take a break and perch on top during which time he'd sing. It's incredible to hear such a loud song coming from this tiny bird.

The last photo is NOT a Carolina Wren.  It's a Chipping Sparrow that decided to check out the activity going on at the bird townhouse.  He didn't seem all that impressed so he didn't hang around for long.  

Back Yard Notes

The new flowers and plants are taking well in the flower garden.  The carpet roses are heavy laden with blooms.  The day lilies are close to making their spring appearance.  Their bed needs a coat of mulch before the summer heat sets in. 

Daddy Wren perched upon an old weathered tree stump just a few feet from me and began singing.  It was a perfect moment to snap a good photo.  I watched for a while as the wren parents made several trips around the brush in the back yard then in and out of the nest box.  I could hear the baby birds chirping when a parent approached the nest.

Piper likes to come out of the brush and play when I'm in the area.  She gets hyperactive and does all sorts of silly things that make me laugh.  She plays with pine cones and sticks and digs around in the dirt and piles of pine straw.  She runs and dashes about and sometimes takes an unpredictable notion to climb halfway up a tree.  On this day, she wanted to include Butters in her play but he displayed no interest in it.  He didn't have time for her nonsense because it was interfering with his cat nap.  

I enjoy the sights and sounds of my back yard.  I treasure the abundant signs of life in it.

Hope Springs Forth

I'm feeling extra grateful for spring this year. The arrival of spring has given me hope and purpose. My mind has been focused on bird watching and back yard landscaping. Flower gardens are getting a makeover and new landscaping projects have begun. Migrating birds are passing through and resident birds are preparing their nests for offspring. There's been so much activity going on in my back yard and I'm enjoying it.

A pair of Carolina Wrens have claimed one of the bird houses in our back yard.  Each morning the male perches on the back deck railing and sings his little heart out.  He packs a powerful voice to be such a small squirt.  The past couple of days I've noticed the parents have been bringing insects to the nest and removing fecal sacs from it.  That lets me know there are nestlings in the bird house.  Hopefully I'll soon see little wren heads poking out of the hole.  

Carolina wrens have begun building nests in these bird houses each spring but have never completed the nests until this year.  I hope the young ones survive and fledge soon.  It will be exciting to watch!

Cute Carolina Wrens

Carolina Wrens are so cute, aren't they?

I have a few pics of them, some old and some new...

Hopping along the porch rail

Photos taken in August 2014

This one was skipping along an old vine on a pine tree, looking for bugs, I believe.

Photos taken May 2015

Hope your week is going well so far!

Thank you for visiting :)

Carolina Wrens Preparing Their Nest

It was interesting to observe these Carolina Wrens gather nesting materials.

They made several trips back and forth from the brush pile to the bird house.

It seems odd, however, that they brought materials to 

each of the three birdhouses in the set.  

As early as January, a pair of  Eastern Bluebirds were checking out the birdhouses, 

but I haven't seen them since.  If you look closely, you can see the male bluebird

inspecting the entrance to one of them...

I have a bluebird house, but I've yet to put it up.  That is now at the top of 

my to-do list, that is, when the ground dries more.  We've had rain nearly

every day this month thus far.

I'm looking forward to watching the wrens with their soon-to-come offspring.

Hopefully, I'll have the opportunity to capture a few good shots of them.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  I want those of you who regularly visit 

and comment on my blog to know that I really appreciate you. :)

Linked up with Eileen on Saturday's Critters-

thanks for hosting this great meme, Eileen!