The Ultimate in Repurposing

Bob and I pruned our 29 Asian pear trees (a cross between an apple and a pear -- a Nashi pear!). We spent all day long Saturday pruning, but we got the job done.

As we went along, we were delighted (okay... maybe it was me who was delighted) to find nests in most of the trees. We started noticing all of the different materials the little birds used while making their nests.

Next time you're asked whether you want paper or plastic at the grocery store, think about how practical this little guy was. Look closely at the bottom of the nest, and you'll see plastic grocery bags.

And here's another that used a plastic bag. If you look carefully, you can see the plastic on the inside of the nest and coming out of the side. Its all packed in with mud, so it's not going anywhere!

And this one was built using some green netting that could have been used to hold fruit in.

And this next one has some red stringy substance woven in with the little bits of straw.

Several of them were smart enough to snatch up some of our dog's fur when he shed his winter coat last year. I bet that was so cozy to nest in!

Now, this obviously isn't a nest in a tree, but this is one of four lanterns that are on our house over the deck. Three of the four lanterns routinely have occupants in them. The birds just seem to add a few more bits of this and that every year, and then settle in. I love when the little bird has laid her eggs, because then you can see her in the lantern looking out at you as you go about your business out on the deck. She keeps a pretty good eye on anyone out there, and if you get too close, she'll fly out of the nest, swooping down and very nearly giving the passer-by a heart attack. Two of the lanterns sit right outside my bedroom door, and I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I love to hear the birds singing to each other, but they do start their singing pretty darn early!

I have photo after photo of many more nests, but you get the idea. These little birds are so darn resourceful. I love that! Now, if only they could make nests out of the piles of branches we pruned from the trees...