Evening star., 1948-06-08
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TracetDelI
SUMMIT PLACE.

SUMMIT PLACE.
Dear Sir:
I'VE were away from the farm for almost
two weeks, and left a metal bucket on a Slated
washstand near the pump.
THE bucket, upside down. extended an inch
or more over the edge.
when we returned there was a wren's nest
under the bucket-with a necessary entrance
from below-and 1t grew to six eggs
I'VE lifted the bucket carefully two or three
times. But the wrens few around and SEEM
ingy paid no heed to U.s.
This week end we lifted the bucket and
found all the eggs gone. There were no telltale
shells below; there was no apparent disarray Of
the nest. We see no more Of the wrens down
there, though there were wrens in the higher
trees.
THE table was only foot and half from
the ground. A snake could have gotten the
eggs, think, but he surely would have torn up
the nest or upset the bucket.
I'VE are bafhed. Maybe you have an answer.
Yours, C. M"
4 =
Natural enemies of the wren eggs are shrews,
field mice, chipmunks and snakes.
Any one of these could remove the eggs with
out leaving trace
Our guess-and 1t is only a guests that a
chipmunk was responsible.
This marvellous little animal is an enemy of
birds. He even can climb trees after them-at
least for about 10 to Is feet.
Any one who has admired his bright eyes,
however, will be willing to forgive him a few
eggs.
A chpmunk, too. must live, and old Mother
Nature tells him what to eat.
House wrens usually incubate six or seven
eggs.
Jenny perches on the eggs for IL days, as q
rule, and then 10 days must pass before the
little ones can fly and leave the nest.
II she utilizes q man-made house, with a
small entrance, she is saved one disaSter-She
does not have to hatch out and feed cowbird
baby, because the mother cowbird cannot get
in the nest.
Jenny Wren has reputation as shrew, but
it is a tossup whether she is any worse than
Johnny Wren.
He is male f1irt.
Often he pitches the eggs of the nest onto
the ground. and do you know why?
Because he has another mate, and thinks 1t
too much trouble to try and assist in bringing
up two broods at once!
In such a case, Jenny Just begins over again,
hoping that Johnny will come back to her.
The old man, who shows up first in the
spring. selects sticks and carries them to all the
wren houses in the neighborhood
When Jenny arrives, she looks over what he
has done.
never does much to suit Jenny.
When she sees those sticks she Immediately
begins to take them out, and to make nest
to suit her own ideas.
After ALL it Is mostly her affair.
= =
She looks around for suitable material.
Sometimes she sees snakeskin, and takes q
nip at it. Occasionally. the snake Is still in it
and then she may lose the tip of her tail.
II Jenny starts from scratch, as the saying
has 1t, in building complete nest it takes her
full five days.
neat wren trick Is to play dead. or the
equivalent thereto, in case the wrens think too
many humans are paying attention to the nest.
They seem to desert the nest, but actually do
not do so. What they do is take to the bushes
few feet away and remain absolutely silent.
II the watcher thinks the wrens have left, he
may give the eggs away, which is a mistake,
because the birds are right there waiting for
him to 60 away.
Wren eggs are white or pale pink, and quite
small. IS befittins s9ch little birds.