Funky Nest Entries 101-110
101. Richard and Brenda Bourcier, Deep River, Ontario
When my wife built a small birdhouse in 2005 and covered it with sea
shells, we didn't expect it to be used by American Robins. The pair built a nest atop the peaked birdhouse roof and ignored the two nesting shelves I had installed.
The robins raised their young in this location during 2005 and 2006. At one point the nest became somewhat loose and was tilting terribly. It was, at that point, that I decided to secure the nest with two automotive bungee cords.
Possibly, we had the only bird's nest sporting safety belts.
Attached are two photos, one from '05 and another from '06.
102. Tonya Clifford, Gallatin, Tennessee
My husband found this Carolina Wren nest in our garage. The garage is always closed but the bird came in through the eaves. It built the nest right in the storage area. Oddly enough a few days earlier my husband had needed this exact funnel but couldn't find it. Luckily he didn't find it because he would've accidentally destroyed the nest pulling the funnel out. We watched the eggs hatch and I ended up helping the babies get out of the garage. The mother was insisting they go out through the eaves even though I had the door open! What an experience!
103. Barbara Hyk-Zimmer, Cologne, MN
This is an American Robin who decided an exhaust pipe from a garage furnace was a good idea. Unfortunately, a big wind storm came through, and the pipe was just too slippery, the nest was blown away... Thankfully, there was no attempt to rebuild.
104. Mark Eden, Palm Bay, Florida
This Great Horned Owl was nesting in a potted palm tree. This was located at the rear entrance to the Brevard County Courthouse. They had to lock the entrance and surrounded the nest with orange barrier material. It made a lot of news here. They also even set up an owl cam so you could watch her online.
105. Marty Frentzel, Albuquerque, New Mexico
When I wired some shed elk antlers to a homemade shade in my back yard,
I never dreamed a Mourning Dove would consider it a nesting platform.
However, the dove in the attached pictures certainly had a good imagination.
After three attempts last year, the dove did fledge two chicks from the
antler platform.
We have three species of doves in my neighborhood: Mourning Doves, White-winged Doves, and Eurasian Collared-Doves. They usually nest in an
Arizona cypress or a Ponderosa pine on adjacent properties.
106. Barbara Korpi, Mobile, Alabama
Funky wren nested in our satellite dish. You can't see the nest because it is down in the hole created by supportive structure. She fledged two babies fed by both parents who foraged in our yard - and on our back patio where I raise butterflies in a Critter Keeper. I leave the cover off when butterflies are about to emerge from their chrysalises. This year I 'hatched' 12 chrysalises. The unlucky 13th looks like the morsel in our wren's beak!
Bluebird in our mailbox. An unsurpassed eggsample of parental devotion,
this little bluebird is constantly interrupted but keeps returning
undeterred. Trucks, trash haulers, road workers, and daily traffic may
cause her to flush if they drive too slow, but she soon returns. The
mailman puts the mail into the box (inches away from the bird) but lets it
extend out onto the open mailbox door hoping not to disturb her. She seems
to tolerate the USPS. Every time we get the paper or leave our driveway, we
check on her. Most of the time she is sitting in the nest. At times, she
sits on the fence across the street to check US out and we have a chance
to peep in. But, we have not as yet seen any eggs!
107. Kate St. John, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Yesterday morning when I got off the bus I looked at the walk signal even though I wasn’t going to cross the street.
Why did I look up? Did I see something move? What didn’t look right?
Aha! An American robin is on a nest in front of the Don’t Walk hand.
What was she thinking when she built her nest there? I’m sure the traffic signal is warm and the metal hood provides a shelter but the hand cycles through blink/on/off and she’s sitting right next to a loud mechanical cuckoo that calls every few minutes when the Walk signal lights up.
Maybe she wasn’t thinking at all. I’ve had some experience with robin nest site selection and have reached the conclusion that robins aren’t very smart. Inevitably they pick a site that has some safe characteristics but at least one glaring downside for baby birds. This site has few predators but it’s an asphalt jungle where the fledglings could fall in the street.
I hope this bird succeeds but she’s facing tough odds. Even if all goes well at the nest only 25% of American robins survive their first year. The species makes up for it by laying three or four eggs per clutch and raising two - or more - broods per season.
Meanwhile the Don’t Walk Robin sits patiently. She’ll incubate her eggs for 12-14 days and feed babies in the nest for 13 more. If you want to visit her, look at the walk signal next to Starbucks at Forbes & Craig in Oakland. If she’s not there just wait, she’ll come back soon.
(from Kate St. John's WQED Outside My Window blog posting)
108. Caleb Garner, Matthews, North Carolina
This is two nests. The far one has been there for years but I guess they wanted to be closer to us. Now they live right outside our front door.
109. Wendy Kaufman, Ontario, Canada
Our Canadian robins are always challenged with finding the perfect nesting spot away from hot sun, westerly winds and marauding chipmunks. This patriotic Mom is well protected from all three under the entrance porch roof by our main door. My husband hadn't planned for the extra decorations in his pre-Canada Day flag arrangement.
110. Andrew Warner, Chesterfield, Virginia
Found this Mourning Dove nest at work, it was on a large gate valve in the middle of a large industrial plant. The area is noisy and large volumes water run through the valve and pipes. I just thought it strange place to put a nest.
