Expert: Julia Booth - 3/24/2009

Question
QUESTION: We have a new nest in our mower storage shed, on top of our week eater. It's about nine inches and ball shaped with a two inch entrance. The nest has dog hair in the bowl. It now has one egg in it. It's smaller than a robin egg. White with brown specks. It's driving me crazy not being able to find out what it is! I've been all over the Internet with no luck. I appreciate your help!

ANSWER: I have a number of suspicions. But a few things might help me to more accurately answer this question.

1. What state/city are you in?

2. Do you live near any body of water, and if so, how close?

If you can take a picture of the nest, that would be great. It doesn't have to be a good one. Your cell phone will do.

Let me know and we'll go from there,

Julia

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: We are in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, just outside Tulsa. We're about 7 miles from the Arkansas River. There are farm ponds in the area, but none that I know of within a couple of miles.

And did you notice that we are both Booth?

Answer
I don't know how I missed this follow-up. SO sorry.

Given the image there, although I still cannot see the eggs, I'm going to say White-breasted Nuthatch, or House Wren.

Have you seen the birds coming or going from the nest? Are there one or two parents tending? That makes a difference.

If you could describe the birds, that would be great.

Even a nest like this still has a number of possible owners. But I'm leaning towards wren, since they are famous for making their nests in strange and inconvenient places.

THESE

http://www.sialis.org/nests.htm

http://www.sialis.org/images/nesteggsphotoalbum/Nests/index.htm

Are great resources for nest and egg ID

Hope this helps,

Julia

(and no, I hadn't notices we were both Booth. I don't come across all that many of them actually)