ABANDONED NESTS - END OF SUMMER?

 

                             Photo by our intern,  Emily Libecki, taken in herb garden in the bay tree. 

                                                (Note bay leaves inside nest (possible robin nest)

It is almost the end of summer,  (weather here has been so cool we actually have the heat on at night) and as we continue harvesting or beginning to clean up gardens, we are finding birds nests  in hidden places.  

It never ceases to amaze me what animals go through to create homes for their offspring- and no less the birds. Each species is unique, taking into consideration  location, size and number of eggs possible, and what materials are available.  Some birds build complicated homes, others of a delicate, intricate design, while others seems to just throw things together. It takes about 180 trips per day for anywhere from 2-6 days to gather materials and build the nest for many song birds..

To conserve resources, birds generally create nests that are as small as possible, which not only saves on energy from a construction and maintenance standpoint, but also creates a smaller, warmer micro-environment making  it easier to keep incubating eggs and new babies warm and dry. Some nests are used years after year, with a little fixing up, but many of our song birds just start all over again.

A wren's nest in the herb garden's peony.    Photo by Oblate Martha Conn. 

Note that in the United States it is illegal to remove or destroy any active nest from a native bird species- this would include hummingbirds, woodpeckers, robins, and jays.  If the nest has been abandoned or no eggs have yet been laid, it can be removed or destroyed as needed, but if eggs or birds in nest it cannot be removed. .

Years ago when I had a 4-H  birding club, we studied the nests.  Makes for great winter fun for everyone.  There are several guides to help you determine what you have found.