Funky Nest Entries 81-90
81. Barbara Walker, Palm Harbor, Florida
Pinellas County, Florida is home to many Osprey. A large majority of the population (estimated 90%) nests on artificial structures such as cell towers, power transmission poles, platforms, power lines and even business signs. Over 140 Osprey nests have been counted this year by participants in Clearwater Audubon Society's OspreyWatch Program but this one is the most unusual. The Osprey has built a nest on a satellite dish at Derby Lanes (the dog track) in the Gandy area of Pinellas County. All of the light standards in the parking lot were full so this Osprey used the next space available. We checked with the manager and the dish works! The nest was productive this year. What a twist on satellite tracking of Osprey!
82. Alton Chesarek, St. Albans, Vermont
This is an American Robin's nest on the porch light of my neighbor's. The mother Robin challenges anyone who goes onto the porch. As a consequence my neighbor is very lonely because no one will visit him now. He is anxiously awaiting the fledging of the robins so that he will get visitors once more.
83. David Poweleit, Carpentersville, Illinois
Off hand, this might not look like an odd nest location. In fact, this Mourning Dove may look pretty smart compared to its peers because no matter how flimsy the nest, the eggs will not fall through to the ground. However, it did choose a location that offers no protected cover from the elements or predators. What makes this location funky though is that it was on the backside of wooden basketball hoop that we had as kids. The dove stayed on the nest and raised its young all the while basketballs bounced against the opposite side of the backboard. Certainly a funky dove to say the least!
84. Carol Grench, Davis, California
This was a bird's nest in a lamp in Seville, Spain. I took the photo the end of February 2009. I thought it was funny that a bird would build a nest in a crown in a lamp.
85. Angela Petersen, Albion, Michigan
I am a field technician on a research project about Golden-winged Warblers. On the ground in a grass tussock is kind of funky maybe I guess. I was hired to try to find these nests. GWWA nests are very hard to find, but I happened to look in this grassy tuft and there she was staring back at me. Snapped a quick photo. She is currently incubating 6 eggs.
Poem:
Where are you GWWA? I rang
The GWWA male buzzly sang
I looked for one and bang!
Now it was I that sang!
86. Debbie and Jeff Myers, Tucson, Arizona
My husband has some family bikes in storage hanging from a basement porch. Last year he discovered a hummingbird nest built on a bike chain lock hanging from one of the bicycles . The hummingbird (our guess is an Anna's) raised at least 2 broods in the nest. This year she returned rebuilt the nest and we got some good pictures. We like this one the best!
87. Ryan McDevitt, Exton, Pennsylvania
The Story
88. Jan Calcaterra, Tucson, Arizona
This photo was taken at Tohono Chul Park in Tucson, Arizona last March. This Anna's Hummingbird was just sitting on her nest in the botanical garden with everyone taking photos of her. I guess she felt well protected by the thorns of the Ocotillo.
89. Kay Pryer, Tulsa, Oklahoma
We had a pair of robins nest in a small planter hanging at the end of our backyard patio and directly outside of our sun room window. She laid three eggs and hatched all three. It has been one of the most educational experiences for myself, husband and adult daughter. Once I found the nest while watering one evening we started watching closely to see if she would actually lay any eggs in it. We stopped using that end of the patio so as not to scare her off. To our surprise she laid three eggs. While she was sitting I started buying meal worms a thousand at a time to help subsidize her diet. Any time we would step out on the porch she would fly up on the wood fence and fuss at us. I would put out 15-20 meal worms morning and evening, click my tongue and step back about six feet. At first she was very hesitant to come down and eat with us there but eventually it wasn't a problem and she became very trusting. Within a week she was waiting every day for her feedings. Once the eggs hatched I started feeding her 4-5 times a day. The day the eggs hatched we were due to leave town and had asked our daughter to house and dog sit for us. When I told her I needed her to feed the robins meal worms 4-5 times a day the look on her face was priceless. Once I showed her the eggs had hatched and we watched how hard the parents were working she agreed to do it:) Before the weekend was over my daughter was calling 3-4 times a day giving me updates on how the feedings were going and telling us about the white fecal sacks by the babies. I think she may be a back yard bird watcher convert:) Anyway, we got to actually watch each of the babies fly from the nest. The parents are still coming back for their 2-3 times a day meal worm feedings and yesterday morning they had two of the babies, which are almost adult size now with them on the fence. The parents would fly down to the patio, they typically eat the first four to five worms then start gathering and fly back up on the fence and feed the babies. Now that the nest is empty, whenever I go out and start clicking for them to come and get there worms it is taking a little longer each time. Sometimes up to two to three minutes before they come and I'm thinking this is it, they aren't coming and then something catches my eye and there she is waiting for her breakfast. We have felt like proud parents and will be sad when the day comes that they don't show up for breakfast.
90. Martina Martin, Media, Pennsylvania
