As in past years, we have a pair of House wrens using a nest box. It seems that the young should have fledged by now, but as of June 15, 2023, the parents are still feeding young in the nest box. I’ve spent some time observing and photographing the parents bringing food to the box and it’s been a real “eye-opener”! Photos haven’t been easy to come by because the birds are using a fairly dense Madrone tree adjacent to the box for their final staging point before quickly disappearing into the house, and I have been mostly dealing with full sun which provides unwelcome high contrast.

I have seen all manner of food in the birds’ beaks… a dragonfly, spider, grasshopper, two different kinds of caterpillar and something that appeared to be a group of insect eggs! My photographs in most cases, sadly, seem to be composed only of head shots with a few exceptions.

Here are some photos which document some of my observations…

And finally, what the Consumer Product Safety Commission might consider a choking hazard for a young bird!