The Wren-agade

This is a Carolina wren. Earlier this summer we noticed this hyper little bird, about the size of a ping pong ball, flapping back and forth all around our deck. We decided to investigate and discovered he was slipping in the back slot of our gas grill to build a nest. When we opened the lid, there it was, all nicely laid out on the grates. The little twit had built his home on the gateway to hell.

So we dismantled it and covered the grill.

He promptly built another nest in the watering can on the deck. He was determined to homestead on our deck. Nothing else would do.

We dismantled that one too.

Now we find that he and his mate succeeded in building a nest and hatching some eggs in the rain gutter above the deck. Their flimsy home perches precariously, suspended on the very edges of the gutter. Just above the flow of water. It defies explanation how they managed to survive recent downpours. They are living in the path of regular bird tsunamis!

When our wren involvement began I did some research and discovered some amusing facts.

He attempts to attract a mate with his energetic nest building prowess.

Of course he does.

Once the courtship starts, they often disagree on the nest or the location and squabble vigorously while dating.

Hmmm... of course.

She agrees to take a look at his efforts, but she's generally pretty disdainful of his nest building and frequently remodels it to suit. Which is not totally surprising, because apparently they don't have the same standards - his nests are often just a pile of sticks. She ends up taking over the construction process and does it right with soft nesting material.

This is not surprising.

She may also reject the location altogether and insists on something completely different. I assume he stood to one side while she decided the nursery should be on top of a rain gutter.

Of course.

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Excerpted from: www.birdhouses101.com

The male House Wren starts building nests within the breeding territory even before he has a mate.  The nests built by the male wren are often referred to as dummy nests since the female wren will choose only one nest among all the nests prepared by the male wren. The dummy nests built by the male wren is not a finished product though since the male wren makes use only of sticks and just partially covers the cavities. 

When the female bird arrives the courtship begins and along with it comes the inspection of the available nesting sites. The female bird inspects all available nesting sites, and chooses the site it deems suitable as the final nest. Sometimes the two birds disagree on a nesting site or the material used by the male bird and fight even while courting each other. At times when the female bird disapproves of the material used by the male bird it dismantles the nest by throwing out the sticks used by the male bird one at a time. After choosing a nesting site the female wren then takes over the construction and makes a nest cup over the pile of sticks made by the male bird. 

The House Wren is known for its eccentric choice of nesting site. Some examples of the more bizarre nesting sites chosen by wrens include cow skulls, flower pots, tin cans, boots, scarecrows, and the pockets of hanging laundry.