Ms. Renkl, a contributing Opinion writer, reports from Nashville on flora, fauna, politics and culture in the American South. Of all the nest boxes in our yard, the Carolina chickadees always choose ...

Sometimes it’s the little miracles we remember the most. For nearly 20 years we’ve had house wrens nesting at Mt. Hoo, so it became routine each spring knowing there was activity in the house wren ...

The house wren nest box is empty, but my heart is full. The annual wren nesting at Mt. Hoo has been a success. For seven years now a tiny camera has allowed my wife and I to watch this miracle unfold ...

Ms. Renkl is a contributing Opinion writer who covers flora, fauna, politics and culture in the American South. Spring is proceeding apace in this yard, despite my worst fears. For 28 of the 29 years ...

House wrens are spunky little birds about the size of a newly hatched chicken. They once inhabited almost every backyard and garden, consuming insects and chattering away to inform the world of their ...

Wrens are little brown birds that can easily be distinguished from most other birds by observing their high energy, upright tail, loud chatter and bold behavior. House wrens are spunky little birds ...

The house wrens that chose our yard for nesting this spring furnished a bungalow. In early July, for their second nest, they pushed and pulled sticks into what has to be considered a mansion. The ...