San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
Another year means another nesting cycle and another miracle
Sometimes it’s the little miracles we remember the most.
For nearly 20 years we’ve had house wrens nesting at Mt. Hoo, so it became routine each spring knowing there was activity in the house wren nest box.
Five years ago, a small camera was installed in the nest box, and it opened a whole new world of emotions as we watched the annual miracle of nest building, egg laying, hatching, feeding and fledging. We became so attached to these tiny creatures.
Seeing the jelly beansized chicks emerge from perfect eggs, watching doting parents bring food, the chick’s eyes opening as they transitioned into birds ready to fly, and their departure from the nest gave us an emotional connection we never expected.
But again, the miracles became routine with seven eggs and seven chicks entering the world each spring.
One year there was a hiccup in the nesting cycle when an unpaired male wren attempted to raid the nest resulting in just three of seven chicks surviving, but a little research told us this was not unusual.
This year the wren nesting has been different, resulting in one of those tiny miracles that reminded us again about the drama and resiliency of nature.
In recent columns I gave updates on this year’s nesting cycle, but readers have asked for updates, so here’s the full story.
Spring this year was silent.
Typically, the soft mornings of March or April are filled with the bold song of the male house wren as he perches on a high point and lets go with high-pitched bubbling notes that are far louder than you would expect from his tiny size.
This usually begins when the eager male claims his territory and calls for a willing female partner. As an incentive, our camera has noticed, the male will place a twig of two in the nest box as his gesture of
A house wren feeds chicks in the nest box. Four chicks hatched by June 30. commitment.
As March and April came and went, we feared there might not be a wren nesting this year. Our spring mornings had not been filled with the joyful song of this tiny bird and the 4-by-4-inch nest box remained waiting and empty.
Apparently our wet, cold spring had deferred the nesting process.
Thankfully, the annual nesting miracle had only been delayed.
In May we began to hear a singing male, and near the end of the month the first twig was placed in the nest box.
On June 5 nest building was complete, and some primal message told the female to begin spending nights inside the box.
The first egg arrived on June 8 and by June 12 we had a total of five eggs and the attentive female devoted her time to protecting the delicate eggs.
On June 24 the first chick hatched and a total of four hatched by June 30. For whatever reason, the fifth egg did not hatch.
In past years the male house wren jumped into action as soon as eggs hatched, bringing in food to help feed the hungry youngsters.
Sadly, the female wren had no help. Frequently, males are killed defending the nest, leaving the daunting task of feeding four hungry chicks all to Mama wren.
The task may have been too much, and one of the four chicks did not survive.
From dawn to dusk, the tiny female wren was bringing in food for the three survivors nonstop, and on July 10 one chick left the nest early in the morning.
During that day the two remaining chicks crowded at the small nest entry hole as Mama wren brought food to coax them out. About 2:30 p.m., whatever instincts drive them kicked in and they flew from the nest in the blink of an eye.
I pondered this tiny miracle of three beautiful creatures born and nurtured in a small box who are now free to bring their joyful song to life.
Why were there only five eggs this year instead of the usual seven?
Had the male been lost before egg laying and the female instinctively knew she could not care for seven?
Were there issues other than weather that affected the nesting season that began almost two months later than normal?
What instincts drive the female wren to work so tirelessly to feed her chicks, remove waste and cuddle them protectively on chilly nights? I don’t have the answers. It’s just a miracle.
Oriole update
The brightly colored hooded orioles have brought joy to our gardens again this summer, but in the next two weeks they will begin departing for their winter homes in Mexico. By early September, they will be gone.
I’ve noticed huge numbers of adults and fledgling orioles feeding ravenously at the nectar feeders as they store energy for their migration.
This is a critical time, especially for the youngsters, so if you have gotten lax about keeping fresh nectar in the feeders, now is the time to clean and keep them filled so birds can get the nutrition the need for their trip.
Remember, the hummingbirds will use the oriole feeders as well, so after the orioles depart, keep them filled for the tiny buzzbirds, especially as cold weather arrives.
Soon, the orioles will be replaced by our winter visitors, including whitecrowned sparrows and yellow-rumped warblers that will begin arriving in September.