16
Spring and early Summer.
Concord, Mass.
1913

House Wrens
Sparrow Hawk thrusts foot into their nest

(House Wren) near together, often when they were rather far apart.
The other pair of Wrens nested in a box on a short pole nailed
to the east gable end of our carriage house in front of the Bungalow
and distant from our wood shed about 100 yards. I first heard the [male]
singing near it on May 13 [May 13, 1913] and did not see him with his mate for a
week or more later yet they brought out their young on the same date
(June 24 [June 24, 1913]) as did the pair at our house from the arbor box. Several
days later (on June 28 [June 28, 1913]) a Sparrow hawk flying straight and rather
high over the carriage shed suddenly shot down to the box and
apparently thrust one foot into the hole as he poised in front of it
for an instant, after which he resumed his flight without anything
visible in his talons.

Disliked by other birds

  During practically the whole of May and June both male
wrens sang almost ceaselessly at the shortest intervals from
daybreak to dark whatever the conditions of weather or temperature.
Sometimes one song of one bird would be followed almost without
pause by another until five or six had been given in breathless
succession. This did not happen often after the hungry young
demanded constant attention but even then the fathers seldom
approached or left the box without singing once or twice. Thus
the place was flooded with Wren music for almost two months
at least. Nor could one's interest in watching the charmingly - confiding
fussily - assertive little creatures even flag. More than once I said
to myself "they are worth more than all the other birds about the 
farm put together". To many of the others, however, they evidently
seemed suspicious and unwelcome neighbors. Whenever they appeared on
wing they were sure to be hotly pursued and driven to cover by irate
Tree Swallows, Song Sparrows or Catbirds. It is to be feared that
these and other birds may have had good reasons for such persecution.
For as the season advanced I noticed that few of the
tree nesting birds except those breeding in holes had succeeded