Bewick's Wren

From: Afinechef"at"aol.com
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2003 09:29:20 EST
Subject: OT-looking for info on Bewick's wren
To: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu

Donna in Marlborough, CT

Good morning, List!

We need some advice/info on Bewick's wrens. I'm pretty sure we have a pair of them building a nest in our dwarf Serbian spruce topiary. Right now in my yard the Eastern bluebirds are claiming their usual nestbox, the white-breasted nuthatches are claiming theirs, the black-capped chickadees are going in and out of their usual nestbox, and the red-bellied woodpeckers are in their natural cavity in the dead tree in the front yard. Do Bewick's wrens co-exist peacefully with these cavity nesters? Is there anything we should know about Bewick's that is particularly interesting or noteworthy? I can tell you that they are giving us lots of pleasure being so close to our house!

Also--are we crazy, or are there house FINCHES going in and out of yet another nestbox in our yard? I've only caught a look at the female, and though I get them confused with female house sparrows, we are far away from urban areas, and do not have a house SPARROW problem (knock wood!) other than a rogue male last year (and we're not hearing any of the house sparrow distinctive chirping). Has anyone else had a house or purple finch using a nestbox? If not, does anyone have a thought about what kind of bird I could be seeing?

Thanks, all!

Donna in Marlborough, CT

From: Afinechef"at"aol.com
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2003 11:19:09 EST
Subject: OT-Bewick's Wren-More Info
To: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu

Donna in Marlborough, CT

Hello to the List:

Thank you for the replies to my earlier post asking for more information on Bewick's wrens. I am writing to the List at large because several people have asked why we think we have Bewick's, as opposed to Carolina or House wrens.

Here is why:

The wrens we are seeing building a nest have a longer tail than our Carolina wrens. This made us think we were seeing a house wren. However, our wrens have a distinct cream-colored supercilium (line above the eye). They have almost no markings on their wings and are almost the color of a Carolina wren.

Rudy in Maryland quite correctly pointed out that Peterson's does not list Bewick's as breeding in Connecticut. My Sibley book shows Bewick's wrens as a "green dot", defined as "representing locations of rare occurrence (may be a single record or up to a few records a year). These dots are included to
show broad patterns of occurrence, not necessarily precise details of rare records".

Anyone else in New England think they've had a Bewick's wren breeding pair?

For those of you who commented on how many cavity nesters we have in our yard, you are right! We are very fortunate. We live quite close to a large
state forest and we have a large pond on our land, plus we feed the birds in the winter and keep mealy worms on hand for emergencies (bitter cold in
Winter, wet and cold in Spring). I have one nestbox near the pond (chalet) that I keep hoping will attract tree swallows, because I see them all the time here, but so far have not had any luck.

Once again, please share any information you have on Bewick's wrens with me, or let me know if you think I'm seeing another kind of bird (could it be a
Marsh wren? but then the tail seems too short...)

Thanks to everyone!
Donna in Marlborough, CT

From: "Lawrence Herbert" lherbert"at"4state.com
To: "Bluebird" BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Subject: Bewick's/Carolina
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 07:28:00 -0600

Donna and all. Remember the loud triple call of the Carolina, often begins singing at dawn and a nearby Carolina Wren will answer! The Carolina nest has a side entrance in whatever peculiar place it is put.

The Bewick's Wren nest opens from the top is often in a cavity and found in odd places too. The tail has distinctive white edges and it swings it from side to side. The song is very melodious "which way to go which way to go buzzzzzz."

It's probably a Carolina in CT.

Good birding, Larry H. Joplin MO.

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