Marsh Wren Nest; Brief State Park Note

Marsh Wrens aren't a common breeding bird in everyone's neighborhood, but mine, Reed's Beach Road, is currently home to over a dozen singing males. I did some investigating this evening in an attempt to find and study a few Marsh Wren nests, and came across three. One is pictured below:

[Marsh Wren nest, by Tom Reed.]

While investigating these nests, I began thinking about Marsh Wren nesting behavior, and realized that I didn't really know that much about a species that literally nests in my own backyard. Kenn Kaufman, in his work Lives of North American Birds, has the following to say about Marsh Wren breeding tendencies (and nest construction):

"...One male may have two or more mates. Adults often puncture the eggs of other birds nesting in the marsh...Male builds several incomplete or "dummy" nests in territory; female chooses one and adds lining, or may build a new one...Nest is oval or football-shaped mass with entrance on side, woven of wet grass, cattails, rushes, lined with fine grass, plant down, feathers."


Additionally, here's a brief note from Karl Lukens regarding this morning's walk at Cape May Point State Park:

"CMBO Walk at Cape May Point. Nothing special this morning. We had nice looks at Indigo Buntings, Orchard Orioles singing both adult and 1st yr. males, and a pair of Oystercatchers with 2 chicks!"

- Karl, (Steve, Patty, Tom, Gary Dutton)


Location: Cape May Point SP
Observation date: 7/8/09
Notes: CMBO Trip-K,SW,PR,T,GD,+8,Clr.72,W5.
Number of species: 47

Canada Goose 5
Mute Swan 6
Mallard 12
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 1
Glossy Ibis 30
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 7
Osprey 3
Piping Plover 2
Killdeer 6 four young
American Oystercatcher 4 chicks-2
Laughing Gull 25
Herring Gull 5
Great Black-backed Gull 5
Least Tern 40
Common Tern 3
Forster's Tern 5
Rock Pigeon 3
Mourning Dove 6
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Downy Woodpecker 1 heard
Northern Flicker 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Eastern Kingbird 2
American Crow 1
Fish Crow 5
Purple Martin 50
Tree Swallow 5
Barn Swallow 5
Carolina Chickadee 3
Carolina Wren 5
American Robin 15
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling 12
Cedar Waxwing 2
Common Yellowthroat 5
Northern Cardinal 8
Indigo Bunting 4
Red-winged Blackbird 15
Common Grackle 15
Brown-headed Cowbird 3
Orchard Oriole 3
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow 10

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)