Day 1. Luis mentioned that he had seen a wren going into a hanging basket on the front porch. I took the camera but after quite some time, I gave up because the wren was either too fast or too wary.

Day 3. After a few days of trying, I managed to get a better shot of the wren that is nesting in a hanging basket on our front porch. It isn’t timid but I wanted to minimise the risk of it abandoning the nest so I sat in the car on the drive and had a perfect view. The basket contains air hyacinths which need no soil.

Much to my delight, I spotted two (maybe more) hungry chicks eager to receive the insects and grubs the adult brought. This must be exhausting for the adults. Let us hope I manage to spot them as they fly the nest.

The hanging basket is sited just above a rocking chair on the porch, a favourite resting place for Gawber the cat who in the main is oblivious to their presence.

Day6. Just what the wren doesn’t need. Rocker now relocated. The hanging basket with wren nest and chicks is just above their heads.

Day 12.  We have moved furniture and parked the car further down the drive just to prevent the cats from getting too excited by the constant chirping of the chicks. The cats have been known to get on the car roof to get a better look.

We knew the chicks would be flying the nest any day now and we needed to stay extra vigilant as they took their first few flights. Yesterday one chick flew from the nest and under plants as the mother watched and made encouraging noises from the garden wall. Sadly, several hours later we found the chick floating in the watering can having drowned……

Today the remaining chicks flew. Gawber was just about to pounce on one when Luis saw him and told him off….twice. Luis carefully placed the chick high up on a ball of air hyacinth and within a few minutes, the mother came along and encouraged it to fly.

Only one thing for it, to ground the cats until they are fully-fledged and flying. Luis placed the chick on an air plant where it stayed for twenty minutes or so. Eventually, it hopped around and flew to the ground where Mum was waiting in a nearby hedge. We think in total there were 4 chicks and we hope that at least three of them survive. We let the cats out at 2pm……