This is one Mean Old Lady!

This is one Mean Old Lady!
Self-portrait: 'Quilter on Fire'

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Nesting Season

Robins are masons when it comes to constructing their nests. This sturdy nest is unexpectedly heavy; all of the grasses, stems, and other materials are pasted together with mud. This nest was perched atop a circuit box on the side of the house. If you look at the next picture, you'll see why it was safer than it looked--it was mortared in place. A nice impression of the hinge (or something) remains.












The house finches return to the porch every year and raise several broods (new nest each time) in my hanging baskets. This year one pair scored a personal best by starting a nest within 10 minutes of my hanging the ferns from the hooks. I waited patiently while the finches hatched, nurtured, and fledged their offspring, then tried to revive my battered fern. I was not pleased to discover that a new nest was under construction in the other hanging basket, so I removed the nest--and discovered that this one had a special feature. It's lined with fur, I believe from a squirrel's belly.


A lightweight, attractive nest makes an interesting addition to a wreath or Christmas tree. I would not suggest using a robin's nest.

3 comments:

  1. To whomever posted a comment just as I was deleting the old post (and trying to publish one in better order)--my apologies! This blogging stuff is harder than it looks. Please visit again....and I promise to delete my goofs at once instead of a day later.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Here's the post--somehow up on the Open Items bar. My apologies, Gail!
    Gail said...

    Great pictures! We put out dog hair in the spring for the birds to use for their nests. I'm not sure which birds come by to get it, but I believe I've seen cardinals using it, maybe some of the wrens too. I haven't seen any of their nests, so I'm not sure where they're building them

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  3. Get outa here! Dogs' fur for birds' nests! What an idea. We always seem to have a pair of cardinals (the same pair each year? I know nothing. I'll have to look it up) and heaven knows we have endless dog hair. And I'd know for sure if the hair in a nest was from a local squirrel. A few years ago a couple of jet black squirrels appeared in the neighborhood. Now virtually every squirrel we see is black - but not quite as dramatically dark as the originals, interestingly.

    ReplyDelete


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