Scolding House Wrens

I’ve a pair of nesting House Wrens in a birdhouse hanging under the eaves of an outside picnic pavilion. Situated within a small grove of Hemlock trees, the birdhouse is nicely located. (Photo courtesy of Charles H. Warren.) It provides protection against the elements and easy access to tree branches for fledglings on their first flight. However, the parenting wrens do have a bothersome neighbor: my cat.

(You can see and hear one of these House Wrens scolding me in a brief video on my Web site: www.ofthewing.com. Look under the What's New button.)

Do not get overly distraught with images of my calico feasting on mom or pop wren or—heaven forbid—the babies. Despite her every calculation, my cat has not devised a way to access the birdhouse, though she doesn’t seem to lose interest in trying. However, the parent wrens quickly alert me to my cat’s intentions with their loud scolding. Hear a variety of their sounds (songs, calls, and scolds) at

All About Birds
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Wren/sounds

Whenever I hear their racket, I run outside, collect my cat, and take her inside. Too, I keep her inside whenever I leave the house, which assures that Gwendolyn can’t cause trouble. Of course, it’s no picnic for the nesting wrens to be bothered by a cat, a frustrated cat at that, but every neighborhood has its nuisance neighbors and in this case, for the wrens, the nuisance is my cat.

Until next time . . . happy birding!

Georgia Anne