Little One

1½ days after our baby wrens had gone, my son ran in exclaiming that one had been injured by a feral cat. "Little One" was fine but she is the runt...the one in the back who didn’t get her full share of nourishment in the nest. Next to the thumb of an 8 yr. old, she looks larger than is true. I told the boys they had to spend all afternoon feeding her. London asked, “Mom…? Do we have to chew them up & spit them into her mouth?” (I had told them this when the babes first arrived). Unable to find grubs, the 2 boys now fed her worms. She did eat them but she would need a more balanced diet.


After consulting with animal rescue, we over-nighted her outdoors. In the predawn hours I sat out & listened for the birds to awake. As they began their song, I gently brought forth Little One. As I held her, she is not much bigger than a golf ball & is nearly weightless. See how tiny she is in the washcloth, next to the petunias.I returned her to the protection of the side flowerbed & she immediately started calling out for her parents. They would feed her & continue her flight training. By mid-day the beds were silent.
In the evening, I could hear her siblings practicing for their adult voices, but not Little One…..As I lounged in the pool, watching the sun set, a hummingbird landed near me. I spoke a soft greeting & heard the familiar cheep of Little One high in a tree. We spoke back & forth a bit. Her dad flew in, chittering warnings & she fell silent. Apparently it is his charge to keep up with her.


When I was a child, my brother over-nighted a mourning dove. She returned to raise her young and would come near him throughout her life. I hope Little One will do the same….

& Then There Were 3

The hawk has been circling low over our deck, keenly attentive to the cries of the baby wrens. A Cooper's Hawk, known for feasting on songbirds, has also appeared. We provide what protection we can by keeping the umbrellas up & keeping someone outside.


The babies are beginning to look like wrens now. They are large enough to shake the entire basket of flowers. One in particular has grown to exploring outside of the nest. We kept vigil, knowing "he" would fall out. When he did, he scurried across the rose garden. He flew across the pool from atop a towering wall. Momma & daddy wren are good parents & surrounded him in his meager cries. So strong in the nest, he seemed so tiny & frail in the forest. His cries sounded so vulnerable & helpless, yet he was able to fly into treetops. The sky grew suddenly dark, as a summer storm blew up. As I watched the storm from the carport, I could hear his momma continue to call to him, even in the downpour. We listened out for him throughout the rest of the day, hearing that she had guided him to the denser part of the forest. The 3 remaining babies were curious & confused, though noticeably more comfortable in their tiny space.


Yesterday, my husband asked me what the momma was saying. I replied, "I like to think that tiny bird, with the largest of songs, is singing out praises to our God & King". He listened for a minute & agreed.


This morning I arose to the mommas' glorious song. Venturing out, I hoped to count 4 babies, safely "home".... But they are all gone... only 13 days new. A jumble of feelings courses through me. I am proud of, & frightened for them. In my very being, I have a deep sense of foreshadowing, as my own young one grows so quickly.....


I have grown accustomed to momma wren singing, while their daddy chides & scolds. This morning, they both sing proudly back & forth across the forest area that is filled with 4 tiny voices.

Baby Wrens, Day 5

All 4 babies are sporting wonderful mohawks ! They began to tweet on day 3. Today, the merest shadow over their still closed eyes sets them reaching for momma. They are, howe3ver smart enough that if the nest is turned, they silently recede into their nest. (To get an idea on size, the nest is made of grass, not twigs.)

New Today !

All 4 eggs have hatched!! They cannot yet make noise, nor are their eyes open. The focal beam of my camera makes the one open his mouth. The opening of the nest is less than 3 inches across, so it is nearly impossible to get an image inside. I knew you would want to see as soon as possible. As they grow to overflowing, pix will come easier.