Tote Bag Wren House

Of all the birds that nest in my yard, the wrens are by far the most creative.  When it is time to start their family, wrens seem particularly adept at utilizing nooks and crannies around human habitation.  So often they ignore our bird houses and build their nests in hanging baskets or in storage shed clutter.  If you want to offer your wrens a great place to nest but you don’t want to leave the shed door open all spring, consider building them a tote bag house.

An old tote bag hanging on the wall in a protected area is irresistible to wrens.  This is their dream home.  Select a wall area on a covered porch or under an eve that is sheltered from the rain.  Put the tote against the wall at a 45 degree angle and use short screws in the three upper corners to anchor it to the wall.  Hint: screws are easier to remove than nails.  Finally, place one or two loosely balled up wire coat hangers inside the tote to keep the bag from collapsing. 

Be sure the tote is mounted high and away from objects that would allow predators like raccoons or cats to reach the nest.  One old tote bag, two old coat hangers and a few screws will probably equal a bag full of very happy wrens!