Cactus Wren Nest

The cactus wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) likes to build nests in cholla, saguaro, and other cacti. It would be hard to find a home with better protection against predators.

This cactus wren nest, above, is two years old. That’s when I first found it, before I knew how hazardous these cholla cacti are. I could see the mother bird going in and out of the nest entrance, presumably feeding her chicks. You can’t see very well from the video, but the nest is pretty deep, and shaped like a bottle. I foolishly reached my hand out, intending just to touch the opening and was ‘grabbed’ by the cactus. I could not move my hand. I stood there for about five minutes, the dogs frolicking about, unaware that I was trapped. It was getting hot, and I decided I was just going to have to give a hard yank and rip off a chunk of my finger, because I couldn’t stand there all day. I counted to three and yanked! Que milagro! Truly a miracle from the cactus gods, because at the moment I yanked, the cactus released its grip. My finger was intact. Moral of story: Stay away from chollas.

Wedged in between the paddles of this nopal cactus (below) is another cactus wren nest. I noticed it recently when I saw the parents flying to and from. They were busy feeding their chicks, which I could hear peeping.

These nests built inside broken lamp post lights ( below) always make me smile. What a perfect place to build–too high for predators, complete with roof, and partially shielded from the elements by the unbroken glass. I think that a developer planned to build here, but the project ran out of money–I can’t think of another reason why a string of lamp posts would be in the middle of scrubby, empty fields. These aren’t cactus wren nests, and I haven’t seen any birds using them, but judging from the nest construction, I’d guess that sparrows were the original architects.