The Backyard & Beyond  - May 2002

My friend, Joan, called one day that when she went to put her boots on that were on the porch to mow the lawn, she noticed fluff & twigs in the left one. On closer examination she also  saw 3 little eggs. So she put the boot back where it was. The neighbor dog had run off with her right tennis shoe so she proceeded to mow

with one black rubber boot (the right one) and one white tennis shoe (the left one). It must have been quite a sight but at least she had one for each foot. Not having seen an adult bird around she thought about cleaning the boot when she got done but sure enough, mama bird was sitting on her eggs. She called me wanting to know what kind of bird it was so Arden & I went over, saw the eggs but only heard a Winter Wren which shouldn't be nesting in a boot.

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I went back at night and took photos of Mrs. Bewick's Wren on the nest.

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A couple weeks later, I again went to check the progress and both parents were busy feeding. Then one brooded the chicks for 20 minutes or so.

Mama Wren brooding her chicks

When I peeked in the boot, there were tiny newborn, naked little chicks with gapping mouths to feed.

Another 10 days went by while I was on vacation and this time when I went to check, the chicks were fully feathered and soon to be wanting out of the toe of Joan's boot and on into the world that waits them. Good Luck little Wrens!!!

(There are at least 4 chicks in the boot. All you can see of one is the beak right in the middle of the photo in the  feathers!)

               Sherry Hagen 
                             Happy Birding