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I think it’s a miracle when any of them fledge because so much can happen. Birth defects, poisoning whether insecticide or wrong food, starvation, hypothermia, etc. The list is almost endless. And then there’s the times when we just don’t know what happens. Their environment isn’t controlled so there are many variables.
So, yes. A death in the nest can be considered a fairly normal thing but I can’t give you any numbers. Sometimes you could go years without a nestling dying and then other times there is a high failure rate. Again, the variables come into play.
I don’t know for sure what happened in the third nest, but my money is on a house wren or a house sparrow. Sounds like it could be either, but I bet the HOWR.
Gin
Atlanta, GAThey don’t die from crashing around in the nest but they do die for various other reasons. Leave the eggs alone for now. Others may yet hatch.
Gin
Atlanta, GABummer. Brain smaller than most.
Yeah, those young guys don’t feed themselves yet. They just stand in front of food and wait for it to be handed to them.
Gin
Atlanta, GAHow big is that entrance? She shouldn’t be able to get in a box with a 1.5″ diameter hole. If it’s bigger than that, make it measure 1.5″.
I don’t know if a wren guard would help or not but it’s worth a shot.
Gin
Atlanta, GAI once had them go at a whopping 23 days. That was bizarre but it can happen. The box was an absolute mess that time.
Gin
Atlanta, GALike I said in the other thread: bird brains!
Take a picture of that nest, please. It’s going to be unusual.
Gin
Atlanta, GAShe should be used to it but maybe she thinks it’s too hard to get in there with straw. Boo! Guess you have to remove it for a few more days. Bird brains! Nothing is guaranteed.
Gin
Atlanta, GALisa, find that HOWR nest would you? I want to see what that looks like if it’s in bushes.
Gin
Atlanta, GANo way! No way! Those spoiled little brats! Next thing you know they’ll want a pizza delivery and the remote for the tv.
Gin
Atlanta, GAAs of today, they are 10 days old. This little guy is able to move around and will work his way back to the cup. Considering your description of the nest, I use the word “cup” quite loosely!
Gin
Atlanta, GAMultiple boxes do help sometimes. HOWR are just so aggressive that it can be very hard to occupy them with one box unless they have eggs. And, yes. Once a wren finds a hole he’s going back there repeatedly in the same season.
When a box is near wren territory, the first EABL cycle is often successful without HOWR interference if they can complete it early enough in the season. After that, it gets increasingly difficult.
Thcri, what fun to watch this! He’s a busy guy! If you are ANYWHERE near HOWR you need wren guards on both boxes now.
Gin
Atlanta, GATapping, talking, whistling. I have done all of them. Sometimes a female just will not move, even at 5 in the afternoon. I have had TUTI hiss at me when I opened a box.
Gin
Atlanta, GA
