It's been difficult to spend much time in the backyard as our lives have been overrun with radiation and chemo treatments, negotiating doctor's appointments, health insurance, pharmacies, closing a business, and the like. About 2 weeks ago, I decided that we needed to give ourselves at least a fifteen minute break in the garden each day. The very first day, we were rewarded with finding a new family of house wrens who had moved into our birdhouse! Please see my blog of March 10, 2012 in the Archives entitled,"Nesting House Wrens" for information on the nesting pattern of the wrens. If anyone can identify...

I noticed this house wren built a nest in our backyard bird house. House wrens are cavity nesters and are easily attracted to bird houses. I was surprised when a week later I saw what looked like the same species of bird carrying twigs into another birdhouse not 20 feet away. I asked a birder friend who explained to me that the male house wren starts a number of nests, shows them to his female mate, and then lets her select the one she prefers!Together they rebuild the final selection. The male may start as many as 12 different nesting sites. Wow, he really works hard to please his mate!...