here is a picture of the tank ... I wonder who would choose to make a nest inside the closed lid of a tank 4.5 ft above ground? A bird? A snake? A rodden? The only way to get inside that space is through the side opening. The "construction" started a while ago -- I remember seeing small twigs and pieces of moss in that space and I would just toss them away, thinking that the wind blew them in. But I guess the animal finally accomplished the task.

Here is the upclose of the lid and the nest inside it

jollyrd , squirrel or rat would be my guess.

If that's not the nest of a wren, I'll eat it! Wrens, perhaps especially the Carolina wrens, are famous for building their nests in any kind of orifice that appeals to them. Sometimes, they might be neat and tidy but often will build something exactly like that.....and with the same kinds of materials.

Wrens are also famous for making their nests in the whackiest places. How about in a pair of boots left on the patio?

Thank you. There was a nest built few years ago in a nearby tree that may be by the same type bird. I HAVE to remove the nest. And I have to move it BEFORE the eggs are laid -- I would hate to ruin the chicks. I would like to preserve the nest if possible -- would the bird find it and use it if it is moved? Or is it a lost cause?

Remove the nesting materials and strew everything on the ground so that it can be reused again. If you can cover up that opening temperarily, perhaps with packing tape or similar, you won't have to keep removing it once or twice a day. It's NOT a lost cause....you just have to be more determined than the wrens.

It will be heart breaking to be forced to dislodge a nest full of eggs or babies, but unless you outsmart the birds, that is what will happen.

no its not heart breaking..

if momma loses the eggs/nest ..... she will build a new nest and lay new eggs ... her loss is a few days of hard work .. its not the end of the world.. speaking as a bird .... she is just as likely to lose such in a spring storm ... from crows.. robins.. raccoons.. etc .... DONT GUILT YOURSELF.. just do it ....

she will not bypass a brood for the summer.. because you moved the nest ... even if there are eggs in it .... its just too early in the season ...

again.. DONT GUILT YOURSELF

ken

Let me re-phrase....it's difficult for MOST people to remove a nest with eggs in it.

LOL! Great rhizo, now there's soda all over my keyboard. 8=)

tj

i dont go out ruining nests.. its the darn wildlife.. they are called predators .... you should see the broken egg litter around the yard ....

and a week later ... i see a new nest.. a few feet away ... with what i presume is the same fornicating bird ... and new eggs.. or the same nest with new eggs ...

and in late summer.. i usually see a new brood in the nest.. and presume its the same tart.. doing it all again ...

i mean really.. its like they have nothing better to do.. than replicate the species ... crikey.. get a hobby ...

but yes ... if one should pick a bad spot .... i dont really worry about feeling guilty about 'encouraging' them to go elsewhere ... just like i do with the wasp nests ... [speaking of which.. i just found the new basketball sized paper nest.. 300 feet away from the nest i discouraged them from last year ... but 15 feet higher in an oak .. i can ignore that just fine ... as compared to 4 feet up in a shrub] .. but i digress ...

ken

Well, I have great news for everyone - me , you and the birds! The gas company guy came first thing this morning to refill the tank (it was needing a refill). I ran out to tell him about "the nest and that I need to move it and put a bag over the lid to prevent them from coming back ..." And he was so sweet to tell me - "don't worry, it does not bother me, I can work around it, I see that alot in this area, it is Carolina wrens". Anyways, we went to check the nest again, there were still no eggs inside. He gently worked to connect the hose to the tank, filled it up and left. Considering we only need refills every 3 months, I hope the chicks will be out and gone by then.

How cool is that?! I'm so glad that it worked out. I love Carolina wrens...they are easy to 'tame ' and can be coerced into eating out of your hand. And LOUD! Good grief, for such a tiny bird, they sure have the loudest call.

This reminds me of the robin that began building her nest on top of our front porch light....about two feet from the front door! Well, that sure wasn't going to work!

So it became a contest of wills between that robin and me. I'd demolish...she 'd build again, sometimes three times a day. Since robins are early risers, I find a new nest started by dawn each morning. But, I was determined to win the battle.

After several days of this, I got up early one morning to do my morning sweep....and damned if she hadn't stayed busy all night and built a skyscraper of a nest AND laid her eggs! Honestly, that nest was twice the usual size....with twice the amount of mud. So our two person household became a family of 7.

I see that a lot in this area, it is Carolina wrens

===>>> dam.. and i wanted to hear what it tasted like when rhiz ate it.. lol ...

i was further wondering.. with all her allergies.. why a nest would be ok to eat .. lol ..

ken

Bird's nest soup?

BTW, they taste like chicken.

tj

the nests taste like chicken??

what a hoot..

ken

do chickens hoot.. wait.. do wrens hoot ...

they laid 4 eggs, white with brown spots; I went to check on them this weekend and saw a parent fly out from under the lid when I lifted it. Can't wait to see the chicks. How soon would they come out? How soon will they leave the nest?

According to the research, one egg a day is laid per day and the incubation period is about 2 weeks. Two weeks after hatching, they begin to fledge. Both parents tend to the fledglings unless she lays more eggs right away. Then, Dad does double duty. In another month or so, the parents cut the apron strings completely.

It's actually illegal to harm or destroy nests of most birds. Wrens, especially Carolina wrens are very people 'friendly' and can coexist around human habitation. I am sure the propane man has seen many of them. Wasp nests under the hood, now that's a different story. It can be a rude surprise.

The propane company person was VERY understanding of the situation and did not harm any creature. Thank you for the concern.

The chicks are out of the eggs, but are still featherless and blind. Can't wait to see them fly away!

Carolina wrens don't waste much time. When they are feathered, they don't spend time on the ground, essentially helpless and dependent on their parents like some birds (robins really come to mind). I have annual wren's nests in my greenhouses. They spend a day or two practicing their wings, but will just up and fly out behind their parents and they're up, up and away. You will hear the parents working together feeding. They'll chatter back and forth to one another, and the one with the insect will perch on all sorts of branches to decoy its destination and then zoom in to the babies. I know it's tempting to be peeking at them a lot, but try to not disturb them if you don't know if both parents are in or out of the nest. I scared a wren once on my potting bench when I lifted a pot, and if took off so quickly it ran into the bench and broke its neck. Man, it still upsets me when I think about it.

.... and the birds are gone- the young ones left the nest at some point, I was not checking on them every day and today the nest is empty

We have a macaw that is happy to share her food with the wrens who fly in and out of her cage. There are areas we have that we have been able to prevent them from building nests by using carpenters wire at the underside of our outdoor lights so they can't build a nest. But now we have a gazebo we use as an outdoor living room with a cupola and ceiling fan. Even with the carpenters wire at the base of the cupola the wrens fly between the spinning fan and the wire barrier of the cupola. Nothing discourages them. We also have a fireplace with
mirrored glass.I have romex wire coiled like a snake that the thrushies are afraid of but the wrens could care less. Is their anything they fear? A smell or a noise? I can get a wire screen for the fireplace to discourege them from taking the glass but the mess they make in trying to get in the cupola is nusiance to clean up every morning. All thoughts and suggestions appreciated.

Loved reading this whole conversation, because I just discovered a nest under the lid of my propane tank that looks exactly like in these pictures, both the nest and the tank, that is! I don't think anything's in it yet, and I will just let it be.