Advice on Wren's please.

[Peter]

I have a stack of stored carpet, (two pallets, folded carpet, a pallet, folded carpet, waterproof plastic sheet tucked under two opposite sides and over the top) about five foot tall and I think a Wren has built a nest in there somewhere.

The only way I can really check is by partially dismantling the stack, so does anyone know when a Wren should have finished with it's nest by?

[smallblueplanet]

Not sure - but lots of birds have more than one brood. You should be able to hear the racket the parents set up as an alarm, or from the babies expecting food?

Why not ring RSPB or your local (Essex?) Wildlife Trust for info on how long they take to fledge? Oh and I think wrens might build multiple nests before deciding on one to use?

[Lesley Jay]

I have had a read and Smallblueplanet is right. The male builds several nests and when the female decides which one she likes she lines it with feathers. They start breeding late April and have two clutches of 5 - 16 eggs. There are 13 - 18 days incubation and then 15 - 20 fledge days. I hope this will help you Peter.

[nick the grief]

You should be OK by christmas
It may now be a nest as such as I think that Wrens sometimes have communal roosts ( it think the record for a birdbox is 30 or something like that!). If it is a nest then it will be September before your clear.

[Birdie Wife]

There's no way of knowing if or when the wren's started laying. Some birds nests have already fledged young and are starting on thier second brood by now, especially down where you are.

If you don't need to move the pile, then I'd leave well alone until you know for certain that they are finished. Wrens are remarkably tolerant of human company though, one nest I knew of was right beside the front door in ivy and they did okay I think.

[Alice]

Wrens certainly enjoy communal broods. They have one in the ivy right outside my sitting room window and every night in winter I see them all piling in there, about a dozen or so. They also have very big broods, you wouldn't believe how many chicks come out of a nest, and every night they all pile back in. And how much noise can one little wren make. For decibels per ounce they must be the winners.

[Birdie Wife]

Actually they are Alice! Or so I heard - wrens have the loudest song for their size anywhere in the world! Amazing little things, I love listening to them.