Mike and I have been refurbishing our nest. We have built a
new nest higher up in the Dogwood tree. We pulled good twigs from the old nest
to use and found new twigs. After
weaving the twigs together to build a strong, cup shaped nest, I gathered grass
to line the nest. The grass makes the inside of the nest soft and warm for my
babies. I’ve been watching my
neighbors build their nests, too.
The barn swallows use a lot of mud. They gather dirt in
their beak and mix it with saliva. Then go to their nest site and add the mud
to the nest. When the mud dries, it’s like having a brick house with no roof!
The Carolina wren likes to build
nests inside things. The people that live in a house in MY yard have a big
pickup truck. The wrens built their nest on top of the spare tire located under
the truck. Early one morning the man got in the truck and drove away. Mr. and
Mrs. Wren were frantic because he took the nest and the babies with him. When
he came back at the end of the day the parents rushed to the nest. The babies
were all there and actually enjoyed their day out! I don’t think the man knew
he was bird sitting that day!
The Red-bellied woodpecker couple has been checking
out holes in the trees. They make a hole in the tree and excavate an area in
the middle of the tree. They use wood shavings from
their tree diggings to line the nest.
My
hummingbird friend uses spider webs and lichens to make a small nest. The
lichens camouflage the nest as it rests on a branch. Of course, female
hummingbirds are single mothers. They build the nest and take care of the
young.
Not all
birds use their beaks to carry nesting materials. Remember my friend, Rusty the
Red-shouldered Hawk? He will grab a dead tree branch with his feet and break it
off of the tree. He then flies off with the branch in his feet.
What
bird nests have you seen? Have you noticed that my friends and me will use
“building” materials we find in the environment?
My
friends that live across the lake, Grady and Gloria Great-Crested Flycatcher,
will hunt for a snakeskin to add to their nest. They think it will help keep
predators away.
My
cardinal friends who live in the cemetery build a nest that is shaped like
mine. They will use silk and plastic flowers in their nest because they are all
over the cemetery. Some birds will
use things like yarn, ribbon, and even plastic trash. Sometimes those man-made things can hurt the bird families.
What materials do you see birds using? You can help us build our nests by
setting out yarn, ribbon, thin strips of cloth, or even dog hair. You can put
these items on the ground, hanging in a tree, or in one of those netting-type bags
in which your parents may get oranges.
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