Monday, April 16, 2012

Decorated Nest

I'd heard that birds will weave plastic Easter basket grass and other colorful items into their nests but I never saw it in action until now:





I found the nest on the ground and propped it back into the bush but it had already been abandoned. I can't tell what bird made it. I think it's too small for a robin's nest (but the blue would have went with the eggs). I don't think it's a dove's or cardinal's nest, too small and tightly woven. Any ideas?
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7 comments:

  1. Could be the mockingbird, - resourceful nest builders and songsters. Or the black capped chickadee one of the more creative types. I'm just making this up; your guess is better than mine, but how fascinating!

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  2. I'll go along with black capped chickadee. It looks like a small nest and used grass instead of twigs. Chickadees are tiny!

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  3. Well, let's see.

    -You found the nest shortly after Easter.
    -There is Easter basket grass woven into it's construction.
    -A Cadberry Egg would fit, conspicuously, perfect in it.

    I think it's pretty clear. It's the nest of a Blue-Footed Boobie.

    shaun

    p.s. I have no clue, but now I'm curious.

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  4. Lol, the Cadbury nest! Shaun, we have Zitner's dark chocolate-covered coconut cream eggs here. I haven't had one in a few years, but the memory, oh! You must be awash in eggs down there.

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  5. We have lots of chickadees here. Tiny is right. And they usually stick around over winter. I don't know how they survive.

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  6. This is a great little site. It has songs of various birds. The Black-capped Chickadee:

    http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=12

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  7. I have a follow-up story about this nest...

    When I propped it back in a bush, I impaled it on a stick so it wouldn't blow away in a storm. I wondered if someone would rent it, pre-fab nest.

    Well, the nest was literally ripped out of it's spot ... 3 times in less than 24 hours! And each time I replaced it I was sure to secure it better than the last time. Who or what is tearing a nest out of a bush? Why?

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