Every time I step outside my house I am greeted by the song of my local house wren. He can actually be heard even when the windows are closed, his song is so high, trill and persistent. I first heard him in March as he hopped among the branches in the pine tree that towers over my house in the front yard. I didn't realize what he was up to until I went out to fill the feeder in that tree one day and discovered the perches on it stuffed with pine tree twigs and feathers. I briefly considered removing the twigs but then decided to just remove the cap of the feeder so he could get his twigs into the fake little plastic house easier. That front feeder had never been particularly popular with the birds and I admired his determination. I did some research on house wrens and learned that the males create several nests in the hopes that they'll be able to persuade a female to mate with them. In the human world it might be equivalent to a man coming up to a woman and saying he has six lovely homes in different scenic locations and she can pick whichever one she likes most, if she'll just agree to be his for a while. Depending on the woman, she might slap the man or pause and contemplate the possibilities. Regardless, the male house wren certainly isn't lazy and should be admired for his effort. I decided I'd help improve his odds by hanging the birdhouse my daughter painted last year in the pine tree in the back yard. Sure enough, within a few days the thing was stuffed to overflowing with twigs and grass. Every day without fail he's out there twittering away as he flies from the front pine tree to the back pine tree singing out hopefully for a female. This has been going on for months now and the poor guy still hasn't found a mate. I haven't heard the answering call of a female house wren even once and I truly feel for the little feathered bachelor. Apparently even in the animal world, finding love can be a real challenge. I often wonder what it is about this male that the females find lacking. Do they think he's not strong or handsome enough? Well they're wrong there because I've seen him up close and he has nice plumage and gets rather feisty when I investigate one of his nests. I have no doubt he will stoutly defend his family when the time comes. Is there simply a shortage of female house wrens locally? This is a distinct possibility since I haven't seen a single potential mate for him yet. Perhaps he should try flying further afield to increase his chances. After all, one never knows where love will be found and the quest for it can lead to places never seen before. Maybe, just maybe, if he spreads his wings a little wider, musters the full power of his courage and journeys outside his usual territory, he will find exactly what he's looking for. I have great hope for him and look forward to someday seeing eggs in one of his many nests. I understand his plight, for while I do not use my voice to sing out for my love, I call to him with my spirit and my heart and I continue to believe that there will come a day when we are together. Until then, I will continue to work on my nests and fly around trying to navigate the unpredictable winds of life.
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AuthorMy words are like my brush strokes, I'm never quite sure where they'll flow to and when they'll stop. Categories
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