Whatbird.com

I am visiting with my sister, who lives out in the country in central Illinois.  She has a bird nest in a 2 foot potted plant on her porch.  There are 5 light blue-green eggs speckled with rusty colored markings.  The mama is a very small bird, about 4 inches from head to tail.  She is marked a little like a sparrow, with a very thin, white eyeline.  When she leaves the nest she runs along the ground or hops.  She does fly, but not often, maybe because she's protecting the nest.  She doesn't resemble a housefinch, or goldfinch, or purple finch.  Can anyone help?

Sounds a bit like a wren, maybe a House Wren.

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Resident Horse Racing nut

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if it is a wren it will usually fly about 1-2 foot off the ground , very fast... if you can watch it perch, notice how it holds its tail... wrens stick thiers straight up for the most part

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http://whatbird.com/forums/photos/early_summers_birds/
IM: oldguyrich

I looked up the wrens, but the closest thing I could find to her was a sedge wren, but the egg color is wrong.  Sedge wrens' eggs are supposed to be white.

If you are talking about a cup nest that you can see in the potted plant, then the bird is likely not a wren. To the best of my knowledge, except for sedge and marsh which build their own nests ( which contain a cavity) the other wrens are all cavity nesters.  Not sure what it could be though, a photo would help obviously...

Dan Kopp

Sacramento

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Dan Kopp
Sacramento

Many dreams come true, and some have silver linings; I live for my dream and a pocketful of gold...

flower pots and planters are a favorite nesting area for wrens around here... several wrens eggs are blue and brown speckled .. several wrens have distinct white eye stripes.. the key to all wrens is the tail up posture....watch for this sign, and if it is  there...you have a wren...not all wrens are cavity  dwellers either... they are mean little guys, but one of my favorite, .. they will destroy other wren nest to protect thier territory...

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http://whatbird.com/forums/photos/early_summers_birds/
IM: oldguyrich

Yes, we had a wren nest in a plant on our front porch one year. It scared me to death when I tried to water the plant!