I can see a nest under our deck from a basement window and have been watching it for at least 3 or 4 weeks, but all I've ever seen was a small bird sitting on it. For the last week or so I had forgotten to check it out but today there is a flurry of activity as both mom and dad are busy feeding several little mouths. I'm not positive what kind of bird it is, but I'm thinking a sparrow. Below I have the best picture I could get of the nest and a pretty good picture of either the mom or dad on a nearby bush resting for a few minutes between worm duty.

Someone suggested it was a house wren, any other ideas?

Looks a lot like an Eastern Phoebe.

It's not a wren.

+1
If it isn't an Eastern Phoebe, it looks to be a flycatcher of some sort. See https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eas ... e/overview for details.

Phoebes are athletic predators of flying insects and devoted parents. We enjoyed having them nest on our yard light fixture each year for over two decades - until a blizzard killed them in April 2018. Now we wait for another pair to find us.

yeah that's a cool 'app'. Works like a champ.
Don't mind the occasional email asking for a donation for something like that.

https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id773457673
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... birdid.app

Thanks! I spent some time last night looking up the Eastern Phoebe and they sure share many characteristics.

When the young have left the nest should I leave it or take it down? From what I've read birds will nest in the same place but not necessarily use the old nest.

I'd leave the nest for a year anyway to see if they still want it. There's no statute of limitations for taking it down... you can always do that later.

Good picture! Hard to catch one sitting still, but this one is on guard duty.

I have a red breasted Robin that returns to my yard every Spring. They seem to be
very intelligent birds. It recognizes me (really!) and will hop over near me when I
make little bird-like noises.

While looking for a pic, I discovered this:

"The Robin has so much to teach you in life, is a sacred bird, that offers protection
and spiritual enlightenment. ... In short, the spiritual meaning of a robin includes:
transformation, growth, renewal, passion, change, and power. The robin is all about
perseverance and trying to “keep on keeping on.”

Considering the past 10 years of my life, the arrival of this bird is quite apropos.

Ah, good old Turdus migratorius; (really!) one of the most well loved bird species.

Not by Worms

Saw this guy on top the tallest building here one day...
Frozen Lake Erie and the Canadian shore in the background there.

If the nest is a problem you should remove it when the birds have moved on. Phoebes can live up to 10 years so there's a good chance that they'll be back and they're likely to build a new nest if the old one is gone. "Our" Phoebes used the same nest over and over, but also refreshed it with some new material each year. The original nest was lost one winter when I replaced the light fixture it rested on so the birds built a new one when they arrived in the Spring.

By the way, our Phoebes routinely produced two broods each summer so your nest may be active for several weeks yet.

My Robins do the same. The second brood of three left the nest this week. Same nest same birds each year. I have seen them fight off other birds who were attempting to steal their nest.
John k9uwa

Update: Here is the final picture of the babies, with one standing outside the nest and today they are gone. Hopefully I'll see them flying around sometime.

Good spot, protected by human guards and a deck above.

Yes, Robins return to the same yard or stay the winter nearby. We had one with a grey stripe on his head, that's when I realized he was hanging around our yard, permanent residency, and raising a lot of offspring, too.
The nests get raided by crows pretty regularly. They're part of the food chain in that regard.

We also have a lot of robins and there have been a couple more hatchings this year, although I'm not exactly sure where the nests are, but from the droppings it appears one is not too far from our lower driveway. When I cut the grass it brings out the robins hunting for worms and bugs. I often have a playful squadron of what I think are Barn Swallows swooping around me in playful flight as I mow. I watched as one had some food in their beak, dropped it and then swooped down and caught it again.

I never saw the Eastern Phoebe's until they built that nest, but that might be because they're so small and fast.