Invasion of the birds!

[aja8888]

Not really an invasion, but an occupation of sorts.

This Spring, a small Wren (aren't they all small?) built a nest on a high shelf above my garage workbench area. Or maybe it was there last year but I never noticed it? Anyway, it's there and OCCUPIED!

I usually leave my garage door up (open) most of the day as I am usually working on my classic car or just fiddling around to get out of the house. This Spring was no exception as we (me) were doing some front yard landscaping and planting. Mr & Mrs Wren decided my garage was prime candidate for a, "event" and it came with the birth of two cute little Wrens! From what I can tell, the two little guys left the nest yesterday and now are living inside the garage. Mom is darting in and out and trying to feed them (I think). I am not welcome nearby as the Mom is screeching at me. But I did get a closeup.

Anyway, I don't have a plan for their permanent exit and it would be helpful if I could get some advice from the Community here.

Here's a little shot of the cuties!



Thanks, aja

 

[Boho]

Put up a birdhouse outside the garage and maybe move it further away little by little. With a feeder.

 

[Born2BRetd]

Sorry, no suggestions but they are very cute!

 

[audreyh1]

Not really an invasion, but an occupation of sorts.

This Spring, a small Wren (aren't they all small?) built a nest on a high shelf above my garage workbench area. Or maybe it was there last year but I never noticed it? Anyway, it's there and OCCUPIED!

I usually leave my garage door up (open) most of the day as I am usually working on my classic car or just fiddling around to get out of the house. This Spring was no exception as we (me) were doing some front yard landscaping and planting. Mr & Mrs Wren decided my garage was prime candidate for a, "event" and it came with the birth of two cute little Wrens! From what I can tell, the two little guys left the nest yesterday and now are living inside the garage. Mom is darting in and out and trying to feed them (I think). I am not welcome nearby as the Mom is screeching at me. But I did get a closeup.

Anyway, I don't have a plan for their permanent exit and it would be helpful if I could get some advice from the Community here.

Here's a little shot of the cuties!

View attachment 34866

Thanks, aja

The parents will feed them outside. They will probably leave very soon anyway.

 

[aja8888]

The parents will feed them outside. They will probably leave very soon anyway.

Well, the Mom is flying in and out of the garage and doing just that. Looks like the garage door will have to stay open during daylight hours until they leave. But that's OK.

 

[LOL!]

The wrens will eat the wasps that get into your garage, so I would say keep them around.

We have wrens that go under the side door of the garage to nest in a styrofoam box on the top shelf in the back. That crack has only about half an inch clearance. So we don't have to keep the big garage door for the cars open.

 

[aja8888]

The wrens will eat the wasps that get into your garage, so I would say keep them around.

We have wrens that go under the side door of the garage to nest in a styrofoam box on the top shelf in the back. That crack has only about half an inch clearance. So we don't have to keep the big garage door for the cars open.

Yeah, I hope they eat the wasps as they are coming now. We don't have a side door to our garage (zero lot line neighborhood) so they have to deal with the big door that closes tightly. Maybe I'll adjust it to stop and inch from the floor so they have access.

 

[MissMolly]

They will leave in a day or two. Wrens get in our garage all the time even though we keep the door down except when coming or going. They can find the tiniest space to scoot through. Carolina Wrens are one of my favorite birds. They are so perky and cute and LOUD!

 

[braumeister]

Everybody loves wrens!

At our last house I had at least a half dozen houses for them and they all got used.

Very easy to build your own. Just don't make the entrance hole too big or you'll get sparrows and other "undesirables".

 

[CDRE]

String up random monofilament fishing lines especially where it can move a bit in any air movement. Birds see the lines and won't go near them. This really works. Folklore says this phenomenon was a serendipitous discovery by a vegetable farmer using the lines for marking rows. There have been some studies to determine the optimal size fishing line and why the birds react in such strong avoidance but the results have not been deterministic.


For your garage door, perhaps tape the lines about 10-20 inches apart along the bottom where they will raise and lower with the door(s) and move freely when the doors are open. You can still walk through the lines. Perhaps sting a few lines around the nesting point(s). You get the idea.

 

[aja8888]

Everybody loves wrens!

At our last house I had at least a half dozen houses for them and they all got used.

Very easy to build your own. Just don't make the entrance hole too big or you'll get sparrows and other "undesirables".

View attachment 34868

Thanks for the link! I'll have to build one or two for next year's guests.

 

[aja8888]

String up random monofilament fishing lines especially where it can move a bit in any air movement. Birds see the lines and won't go near them. This really works. Folklore says this phenomenon was a serendipitous discovery by a vegetable farmer using the lines for marking rows. There have been some studies to determine the optimal size fishing line and why the birds react in such strong avoidance but the results have not been deterministic.


For your garage door, perhaps tape the lines about 10-20 inches apart along the bottom where they will raise and lower with the door(s) and move freely when the doors are open. You can still walk through the lines. Perhaps sting a few lines around the nesting point(s). You get the idea.

Thanks, good idea. Interesting concept. I think I'll get rid of the nest when they leave and put a birdhouse outdoors that they can occupy.

 

[CardsFan]

DW usually has a seasonal wreath hanging out side the front door. Every year we get a nest built. Of course, once there are eggs, we leave it alone.

This year DW decided not to put out the wreath, so no nest, Right? Well no. We hung some plants and the darn things built a nest within a few days. We did remove the nest before eggs were laid.

Sorry, but we have the birds fly into the house more than once before.

 

[aja8888]

DW usually has a seasonal wreath hanging out side the front door. Every year we get a nest built. Of course, once there are eggs, we leave it alone.

This year DW decided not to put out the wreath, so no nest, Right? Well no. We hung some plants and the darn things built a nest within a few days. We did remove the nest before eggs were laid.

Sorry, but we have the birds fly into the house more than once before.

On the front door I can see the possibility of the birds getting in and I would do the same. Our garage entry to the house is a door that leads to the laundry room that is normally closed to the rest of the house. So bird entry there would not be a big deal as they would be captive to the small laundry room.

But these guys are holed up in a small workshop area of the garage where I have a workbench,large air compressor, tool cabinets, etc. Perfect place for them to hang out! The nest is about 8' up high between two boxes of stuff and not in the large area where we park the cars. The door to the house is a good distance from the workshop and it would be a stretch for a bird to get to it.

 

[harllee]

Sometimes wrens (I assume these are Carolina wrens?) use the same nest over and over so if you don't want that to happen you should destroy the old nest once the babies are gone.

 

[aja8888]

Sometimes wrens (I assume these are Carolina wrens?) use the same nest over and over so if you don't want that to happen you should destroy the old nest once the babies are gone.

I'm not sure if these are Carolina wrens as we are near Houston, Texas. Maybe they are? Yes, the nest is going once the birds are gone. I'm going to put up a wren bird house in the front yard if they want to nest here again.

 

[MissMolly]

I'm not sure if these are Carolina wrens as we are near Houston, Texas. Maybe they are? Yes, the nest is going once the birds are gone. I'm going to put up a wren bird house in the front yard if they want to nest here again.

They probably are Carolina wrens. They are very common in the Houston area.

 

[aja8888]

They probably are Carolina wrens. They are very common in the Houston area.

Thanks!

The Mom has been active all today bringing food in for the pair. And she moved them to higher ground (on top of a box up on a shelf). She is used to me being in the garage, and when she was nesting the eggs, she was content when I was 6' away doing whatever I was up to. But now that the little ones are mobile, she is very vocal when I enter the area. Kind of a fun experience and something I have not had any involvement with during my life.

 

[audreyh1]

I'm not sure if these are Carolina wrens as we are near Houston, Texas. Maybe they are? Yes, the nest is going once the birds are gone. I'm going to put up a wren bird house in the front yard if they want to nest here again.

They are most likely Carolina Wren fledgings, a common wren in your area.

Male call TEA-kettle-TEA-kettle-TEA-kettle and the female answers with a long trill. Kind of a duet.

Both parents are likely feeding their young.

 

[aja8888]

They will leave in a day or two. Wrens get in our garage all the time even though we keep the door down except when coming or going. They can find the tiniest space to scoot through. Carolina Wrens are one of my favorite birds. They are so perky and cute and LOUD!

Molly, you were right.

This morning I opened the garage at sunrise (about 6:30 am). The mother (or dad) bird came in as I went to walk the dog around 7:00 am. More food runs by the parent bird until around 10:00 am when she/he herded the two young ones outside (on my car hood!). Then they all flew to a small tree in the yard about 10 feet away. Shortly after that, one young one was back in the garage on the floor. Next thing I know, it takes off and goes for the tree again.

I have not seen any of the three birds since late morning and I have been in the garage few times this afternoon. I'll wait a few days then take the nest down.

 

[MissMolly]