Meet # 37 - the House Wren

I have been saving this for a slow blip day only because I see the house wrens every day now.  They arrived here about the same time as the hummers, end of April, and the male immediately began constructing several nests, whilst singing from various perches around the property.  For the last 5 years, we've had a pair of house wrens nest with us, each year raising two broods.  It usually goes pretty smoothly...

This year, however, there is more than one male and they seem to have staked out a side of the house each - the songs go one pretty much all day, each one trying to outdo the other.  The "front yard wren" seems to have a mate, seen here; while I'm not sure if the backyard wren has found someone yet.  Let's hope he does, otherwise he may try to steal the other wren's mate which can get very messy and sometimes deadly.  
Never a dull moment here on the Lane.

The baby bluebirds are now vocalizing whenever one of the adults brings treats into the nest.  It makes me smile to hear their peeps coming from inside the box.  Also, happy to say that there has been no sign of the male house sparrow at either the bluebird or chickadee nest.  I don't worry much about the wren nest with the sparrows because I don't think the sparrows can get in the box since it is totally filled with sticks, leaving only a tiny wren-sized entrance.  

Temps finally climbed today and the sun has been out - bringing pollinators into the garden to visit my newly-planted flowers.  I posted a shot of a tiny halictid (sweat) bee on Flickr.

And if you need a bluebird fix, here's a shot of Monsieur with a big juicy earth worm.  Both parents continue to be busy from sunup to sundown.  

Hump day ...

Debbi