Anyone know anything about birds' nests?

FeebysOwner

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Hi. Just realized after watering a hanging spider plant outside with a hose that a wren had built a nest in it and when I looked in the pot, there are 4 or 5 eggs in the nest, floating in the water that I drenched them with, unknowingly. :bawling: Will they be OK? Will the wren come back? Should I do anything?
EDIT: Took a look in the nest - the water has drained, so while the eggs are a little muddy, they are intact in the nest with the water gone. I guess at this point, I will just keep looking for mama to show back up. Any idea how long it takes eggs to hatch?
 
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FeebysOwner

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It was just a few minutes. But, I just read up on general info about wren egg hatching - it could take anywhere from 9 to 17 days. And, then another 15 days or so after they hatch before they leave the nest. This plant isn't going to get a lot of water between now and then, unless it rains! Still looking for mama!
 
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FeebysOwner

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Went out to check on mama and the nest again. I didn't get even 10 feet away from where the nest is located before I heard some serious squawking. It was a wren about the same distance away from the nest. So, I promptly left! Will they squawk like that with unhatched eggs, or does this mean the babies have arrived? Pretty sure yesterday, when I went out and saw her in the nest that she saw me, but didn't squawk then.
 

IndyJones

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Wrens are quite the characters. I have a family in one of the hanging baskets on my porch. They are protective of both eggs and young.

I saw one on mine bopping a chipmunk on the head.
 
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There's babies!!!!!! Went out to feed the squirrels and birds - have to pass by this spider plant nest. No parents to be found, so I took a peek - without touching anything. Two babies!!! I think I still saw two more eggs, but wasn't going to spend anymore time 'nosing' around. I wish I could take photos, but just not willing to go that far!
 

betsygee

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There's babies!!!!!! Went out to feed the squirrels and birds - have to pass by this spider plant nest. No parents to be found, so I took a peek - without touching anything. Two babies!!! I think I still saw two more eggs, but wasn't going to spend anymore time 'nosing' around. I wish I could take photos, but just not willing to go that far!
Oh, how fun! :clap:

We had scrub jays nesting in a bougainvillea one year and it was so fun to watch the progress from the babies hatching to eventually all of them flying off and abandoning the nest.
 
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I get to watch baby cardinals all the time - not in their nests, but when they first learn to fly. It was interesting to see that the 'dad' cardinal is usually the one to take bird food from our feeder and feed it to the little ones!!
 
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I tried to put out a makeshift bird house (for any kind of birds) - not a one of them took me up on it!!! But, the wrens have certainly tried to make nests in my garage before!

I have now checked the nest in the spider plant the past two days - I see no babies, no eggs, nothing. I think they may have been burrowed further down in the plant, as there was a wren I saw today going into the nest with what looked like food from my bird feeder. But, wrens generally only eat bugs, so i am not sure what it was - but a wren flew into it with something in its mouth. So, I am guessing the babies are still in there, even if I can no longer take a peek and see them.
 
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