Who is calling?

  It is not unusual to find birds' nests on my hikes about the hillside.  It is also not unusual to find them in all of our outbuildings such as the shed and greenhouse.  Wrens seem to love nesting in areas near people and do not seem to mind if we check the nests now and again.  I love these little birds.  Their cheerfully jumbled calls fill the air from daylight to dusk as they busily work the gardens hunting bugs.  This year, there is an abundance of bugs which makes gardening a bigger chore but makes the birds' lives much easier.  In a matter of minutes, the busy, little wrens can find dozens of caterpillars or grasshoppers to feed the hungry mouths of their broods.  Mama Wren, who chose the greenhouse as her abode, has not started the task yet as she is still setting on her five eggs. Papa Wren, on the other hand, does bring her an occasional treat.  He is a good husband!

Papa Wren singing in a brush pile.

  This afternoon, my sister-in-law made a visit to the Bayou.  While she was here, we toted mugs of coffee out to the greenhouse.  This is one of her favorite places (as it is mine) to sit and relax.  While there, I showed her Mama Wren's nest and told her to listen to Papa Wren's song coming from behind the greenhouse.  He was guarding his ladylove and was letting any intruders know that he was on duty.  It was not long before she could recognize the song of the wren.  She then made the comment that another wren was singing on the south side of the greenhouse. I listened but had to giggle as it was not a wren. Yep, the song was almost perfect.  Each note was in perfect sequence but after three trills, it stopped and continued in what almost sounded like a whip-poor-will's call.  It was not a wren at all but our resident mockingbird mimicking the call of the wren.  How confusing must this be for the wrens???  

Papa Mockingbird who mimicks the call of the wren.

  The wrens nesting in the greenhouse are Carolina Wrens.  These birds pair for life and stay together year round.  The songs are different between male and female but when they sing together it sounds like one bird singing.  This is something the mockingbird has yet to copy and hopefully will never.  While I love hearing the mockingbird with his never-ending song, it is also nice to be able to hear and distinguish the song of the wrens.