While I was working in the kitchen earlier today, the strident scolding and squawking of a Carolina Wren caused me to look out back.
"Oooops...sorry fella," I said through the glass. He was nonplussed with my response and scolded me some more, hopping from the peanut feeder, to the ground, to the table and back, just like a little kid stamping his feet and screaming for candy. You don't have to speak wren to know what he was saying...
"Gimme my mealworms, now!"
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| A Carolina Wren hangs on a suet feeder. Usually he's happy with the suet treat, but when it snows, he demands mealworms. |
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| Grumpy little thing.... |
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| ...grumpier little thing! |
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A pouting Carolina Wren cannot be ignored, so I did what any well-trained bird lover would do.
I got on my coat and boots and went out in the snow to refill the feeder! |
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Uhhhh ohhhh.....guess who else likes mealworms?
A Starling was the first bird to return to the deck after I refilled the mealworm feeder. |
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| The Starling quickly snapped up the mealworms on the ground. |
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| ...but no worries for the Carolina Wren. He knows I put mealworms in this tiny ceramic bird house. It's too small for a Starling to fit in, but a Carolina Wren can easily poke his head in and nab a mealworm. |
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| ...yes C.W., next time I'll do a better job keeping the mealworms replenished! |
Click here for other posts over the years of our mealworm-eating Carolina Wrens.
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37 comments:
Delightful stuff, even if that Carolina Wren is one whiny thing! Spoiled birds...some chicks just never grow up. Great close ups Kelly.
Love your little Carolina Wren and love your photos of his pouting face! Amazing how we kowtow to demanding little birds. I have been going through bags and bags of sunflower chips to feed the hordes of Redpolls I've had at my feeders.
Your Carolina Wren is just so adorable. Great captures!
Cute! Cute! Cute! And the pictures are awesome.
Hope your having a great winter!
Great story Kelly.{:))
Heh, heh! They certainly can be insistent!
Delightful post!
Fantastic! I am missing my birds at the feeder this winter as it has been eerily quiet until I noticed just this weekend at dusk a large hawk fly overhead to roost in the large fir tree in eyesight of my feeder, obviously the birds had known that he had moved in for quite some time. Thank you for sharing your gorgeous wren.
He's sure a cute little guy! Nice shot of the Starling too. They have such pretty coloring.
so, so cute! "we need more cowbell, er, mealworms!"
Lovely shots Kelly. You know, looking at those shots of the Starling. If they weren't so common (not that they are now over here), then they're beautiful birds with that spotting all over the body. Specially in winter! I love the chattering and murmuring they do in winter too! Hope you are well! xx
Birds are so clever! lol
Your little Wren is just like ours here. They've sure got you trained. lol
All the wrens are insistent little birds. I like them because they have so much personality and hutzpah.
Love the wren shots - just love wrens in general!
When it's time to fill the feeder I don't even bother with a coat - just throw on boots and run out to refill the feeder while apologizing the whole while!
In spite of everything, I love Starlings and I think the first photo is the prettiest thing I've seen in a long time. Gorgeous! What kind of lens do you use for these superb bird closeups?
I love the look on the face of your Grumpy Wren! You captured him perfectly. This has been a bright spot today. Thank You
Lovely photos Kelly! Wrens do look grumpy don't they? Ours do too and also our Goldcrests. Great idea with the little feeder which only smaller heads can fit in :-)
He really does look grumpy! Cute post and wonderful photos as usual. Glad you kept the little guy happy.
Great shots! ahhh - those naughty starlings.
- The Equestrian Vagabond
Ha ha! Grumpy has never looked so adorable!
Great that you put some mealworms in an area the Starlings. Can't get at them!
Once again the definition! I never see wrens here, so I'm weak on i.d. for them. This really helps.
I find starlings' markings remarkable. Is it purely their mob mentality and invasiveness that makes them so unpopular?
So pretty! I've been trying to get a good photo of one of these for the past week. Very stubborn they are.
I love the Wren and the Starling, all can see the mealworms, yummy yummy.
OH--isn't he precious (the Wren that is)... Our Carolina Wrens think they live here. They are constantly trying to build a house in the garage. We 'shoo' them out because we are gone so much and don't want them to get trapped inside or outside....
Hope you are doing fine and getting through winter with no problem. Mild here mostly --except for some snow last weekend...
Hugs,
Betsy
Believe it or not, I have Carolina Wrens in my new yard! But I don't see them very often, but I can hear them chattering in the brush.
Hi Kelly
What beautiful photos, I just love the feather detail on the wren and your ceramic feeder is great.
Regards
Guy
I love my Carolina Wrens that sleep on the front porch and eat at the suet feeders. I haven't bought them mealworms thinking they would quickly disappear so I might try them in my small birdhouse they don't occupy.
Love the Carolina Wren. They are bossy little birds and man can they sing. Great photos.
That little fellow certainly keeps you in line! It's a good thing you keep a supply of meal worms for him. :) Love those "grumpy" images.
Great idea, putting meal worms in a small bird house. We have the same problem with starlings-who are fairly new arrivals here at our house-who eat all the suet treats and meal worms we put out for the bluebirds. I will have to give this a try!
great pictures!!!!
creativity and innovation are essential in a work of art.
http://www.davidthemingworks.com/
Wonderful story and pictures of a feisty little wren. I really enjoyed....:)
such lovely portraits of these beautiful birds. I love all the spots on the starling.... magic.
i hope you are well and enjoying winter....
Great photos of the carolina wren sweet little birds
He certainly does look angry!
I never had any luck with meal worms. Seems like you do.
Yep, that would make me grumpy, too.
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