Spring is for the birds! This is the time of year when migratory birds who have been vacationing in their tropical homes fly north to their annual breeding grounds. They are busy building nests, finding mates, and populating our bird feeders. It is prime bird-watching season. There are many ways to bring our feathered friends to our yards. Aside from feeders, one of my favorite things to do is leave nesting material around the garden for birds to find.
From twigs and dried leaves to thin metal wire and bits of plastic, birds will use anything they can find to weave into their nests, so when leaving out nesting supplies it’s important to choose safe and organic materials. Some appropriate items are twigs, organic twine, dried leaves, moss, cottontail fluff, grass clippings, and pet fur. But be careful! Twine or yarn that is too long can injure a baby bird, and grass that has been treated with pesticides or pet fur that has been treated with flea medication are not safe to put out! Some other items to avoid are anything synthetic like plastic or metal, human hair, and – I can’t stress this one enough – dryer lint. It may seem perfectly warm and fuzzy, but it may contain a number of dyes and it falls apart when wet, leaving holes in an otherwise perfectly constructed nest.
Now that you have your potential nesting materials you might wonder how or where to leave them so they are easily found. It’s simpler than you might think! You can just leave them in bundles in your yard or tuck them into a crevice in a tree. Rest assured, your avian allies will find them. Another fun way is to use an empty suet cage suspended from a branch, stuffed to the brim with every nesting necessity a songbird could imagine! You can enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning while you watch a little wren pulling wool from your assortment of goodies.
Spring can be a difficult time of year, with unpredictable warm and cold weather, lots of rain, and sometimes blustery winds. Our fine feathered friends will most definitely appreciate any help you can give when it comes time for them to construct this year’s nests.
by Becky Mauk
