I have a sole Carolina Wren who has made his home inside of the folds of a closed umbrella in my patio. He shows up every night just before dark and hops from my outdoor table and onto the closed umbrella. Then he chooses a fold and disappears into it.
I certainly don't mind...in fact I'm flattered that he chose my patio as a safe place to sleep at night. My only issue is that I'm trying to figure out what happens when it gets cold in another 2 months or so. I usually take the umbrella down and store it by then...and besides, the folds are hardly the warmest place as winter proceeds. It gets quite windy as there's a direct west wind that's pretty cold.
I've put up a birdhouse and a roosting pocket in hopes that the little guy will see one of those as preferable but no luck so far. He still spends the night between the umbrella folds.
I'm open to suggestions...there's going to come a point where I'll take down the umbrella but I would hate to leave the little guy homeless in the beginning of winter.
Options are:
1. take the umbrella down now and force him to choose another home...of course there's a chance that he'll choose a different locale but at least he's not forced to do so in the dead of winter.
The other consideration is I like the little guy...I would love for him to choose one of the 2 places I set up for him in my patio.
2. Leave the umbrella in place all winter. He'll sleep in the folds as he's doing now. Maybe he survives...but I'm doubtful in this regard. Between the snow and the cold windy conditions, I'm not so confident he'll survive
Does anyone have any ideas to move the little guy to choice?
I certainly don't mind...in fact I'm flattered that he chose my patio as a safe place to sleep at night. My only issue is that I'm trying to figure out what happens when it gets cold in another 2 months or so. I usually take the umbrella down and store it by then...and besides, the folds are hardly the warmest place as winter proceeds. It gets quite windy as there's a direct west wind that's pretty cold.
I've put up a birdhouse and a roosting pocket in hopes that the little guy will see one of those as preferable but no luck so far. He still spends the night between the umbrella folds.
I'm open to suggestions...there's going to come a point where I'll take down the umbrella but I would hate to leave the little guy homeless in the beginning of winter.
Options are:
1. take the umbrella down now and force him to choose another home...of course there's a chance that he'll choose a different locale but at least he's not forced to do so in the dead of winter.
The other consideration is I like the little guy...I would love for him to choose one of the 2 places I set up for him in my patio.
2. Leave the umbrella in place all winter. He'll sleep in the folds as he's doing now. Maybe he survives...but I'm doubtful in this regard. Between the snow and the cold windy conditions, I'm not so confident he'll survive
Does anyone have any ideas to move the little guy to choice?
