Nest Disaster

 

Bird’s Nest Disaster

I have worked really hard on providing a welcoming sanctuary to bees, butterflies and birds in my small courtyard.  I have planted numerous pollinators in my perennial garden.  Bird bath, bee bath, bee barn, birdhouse, butterfly house and birdfeeders are all provided in my garden.  With the exception of rabbits, which were eating everything, I welcome all the wildlife, mostly bluebirds who have nested in my box.  However, there was one place I had in the eave of my screened porch that was going to be off-limits to the birds.  They had found it was a nice place to perch and deposit their poop all around the column below. I ordered a spiked piece of mailable metal designed to deter birds from landing.  After much struggle, on a ladder, at an odd angle, I proceeded to install this device, satisfied I had taken care of the issue.

I went out of town for a week and when I returned there was some weeding to be done so I was out there grooming my flowerbeds when I saw house finches go into the area I had “restricted”.  To my dismay, I looked up and saw they had built a nest on top of the deterrent.  Immediately, I thought “oh, no you didn’t just build there”!  Impulsively, I grabbed a broom and proceeded to poke the nest out of its safe place.  It came tumbling to the ground and 3 tiny blue eggs fell to the concrete and yellow yolks burst out.  I was mortified.  I guess I did not anticipate that the eggs could already be in there.  I was devastated.  I was in shock.  How could I destroy something that I was advocating for?  So what if that wasn’t the ideal spot for a nest, in my opinion.  I was so quick to act that I didn’t think.  I couldn’t take it back.  I couldn’t fix it.  The parents returned over and over again and seemed to be confused about the missing nest.  I was totally devastated and ashamed.  Tears trickled down my face.  These beautiful birds are so special to me, yet I had determined their misfortune.  What an anomaly.

To complete the story, these parent birds are resilient, and I am so grateful that they did not give up.  They proceeded to rebuild their nest in a large metal sphere that hangs on my porch.  It is the ideal place!  Immediately they began gathering twigs and sprigs and formed a beautiful nest.  I can watch the birds sit on the nest and enjoy them as they grow their family.  It is a lesson in the danger of impulsivity and anger on my part.  In addition, it is a lesson for me to observe their adaptability and determination.  You can bet, I will think twice before raising a broom over my head again!

Tammy Harvey

6/13/2024