What a simple pleasure it is to host the wren and her nesting every year.

I have hung special wren nest boxes for them and they have chosen to nest there before but they seem to prefer this tin urn I have laid on its side on top of the baker’s rack by the kitchen window.

They have also nested in a ceramic planter and in the light fixture on the front porch and in an unzipped bag on the back of a bike in the garage!

They are the friendliest little birds who make for fun watching plus they sing the biggest, most beautiful song. That’s a wren you hear in the video above. I think they are my favourite backyard birds.

The amount of energy these birds, both male and female, expend to build a nest, tend the brood, and fledge it is astonishing.

I look forward to the unfolding drama every year. When it’s fledging time, I lock up the cats and dog, hold my breath, and cheer when the fledglings make their first flight. I put this metal meshing on the front porch of the nest to give the fledglings something sturdier to hop out onto before they fly.

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And, on the other side of the house, the Texas Possum Haw, a native, is in full swing, showing berries the birds love, especially migrating Cedar Wax Wings and Mockingbirds, leafing out to provide a nice shade on the front porch come summer, and blooming! The pollinators are all over it today!

Finally, look at those clouds. For my South Texas Hill Country drought stricken home, those babies are full of gold! If it rains, everybody will be dancing!!

Keep your fingers crossed 🤞

In the meantime, count your blessings.

Namaste y’all,

d