I get a little thrill when seeing something for the first time or learn something new. Recently I was out photographing Red-necked Grebes and their cute zebra-striped babies when I came across several very chatty Marsh Wrens Cistothorus palustris in a large cattail stand. The Marsh Wren is a small brown wren with darker wings and back.
A dark cap on the head and a thin white line extending through their eye. They have a long thin bill which is slightly down-curved. They have a long tail which is often cocked upward pointing the tail straight upward or over their back. The males claim a small territory quarter acre in a cattail stand and starts to build a nest. He weaves a very tightly woven nest made of a combination of dried and fresh cattail leaves. The nest is not just a simple cup nest.
No, the Marsh Wren male constructs a nest with a full dome over the top and an entrance on the side. The entire nest is ball-shaped, about 12 inches tall with surprisingly thick and sturdy walls. The nest is well hidden inside the thick stand of cattails. If that is not cool enough, the male will build five to six of these amazing nests within his territory. Each nest takes upwards of a week to complete. After constructing all of these marvelous nests, he starts to sing from the tops of the cattails to attract a female.
The male sings a gurgling thrill that sounds more like an insect than a bird. If he attracts a female he will take her around to all of the different nests he has constructed. He will escort her to the entrance of each nest while she goes inside to inspect his construction skills.
She will make the final decision on which nest she will use. Then she goes to work lining the interior of the nest cavity with soft warm plant material. Either way, once the female is settled into a nest and starts laying eggs, the male will continue singing his attractant song and try to persuade a second female to nest.
