Strange nest material.

[Hawkbait]

I have a nest box where hosp destroyed bb eggs in a grass nest that was created.
Two days later several inches of a jumble of twigs were placed on top of the grass nest.
The twigs are 1/8″ in diameter and all mixed up, not resembling a nest.
Is this the work of a blue bird, or some other bird trying to lay claim?
I have seen this twig mess in two houses now.

[David in Stafford,VA]

Sounds like the HOSP. A House Wren builds a trashy nest also but not with that big of a twig.

David
Stafford, VA

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Sounds more like a house wren to me – have you seen or heard a wren around? I have watched house wrens go in & out with their twigs & sometimes they (twigs) are so long they cannot get them in the hole without going in at an angle. Have never seen (or heard) about HOSP bringing in twigs – only junk, feathers, & coarse grass & weeds. BUT different areas may be different?? Here is a link from the Sialis website showing a dummy wren nest. http://www.sialis.org/wrens.htm

[Hawkbait]

I believe you nailed it. House wren.
The Sialis piece described what I have to a “T”.
Controlling nature seems like an impossible task.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by Hawkbait.

[dogsandbirds]

House Wrens build dummy nests exclusively with small diameter twigs. When a male is trying to attract a mate he fills all the cavities he can find with twigs. If a female accepts one of them, he’s a lucky guy. The acquisition of a mate doesn’t mean the end of his attacks on all the other nests in his territory. He continues with this behavior in an effort to protect the food supply. I never, ever let them succeed here because that would just mean more wrens.

And, no, you can’t control nature. All you can do is offer your best protection.

Gin
Atlanta, GA

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