Nesting Place

Living in the woods has its disadvantages, besides the fact we are constantly trying to prevent the encroaching wilderness from reclaiming our lawn. There are also the woodland creatures to think about. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love nature. There’s nothing I enjoy more than seeing the birds, rabbits, and the occasional deer wander through the backyard. It’s when the animals start trying to move into the house that we start to have issues.

You may recall, about this time last year, a certain momma bird who chose our Christmas Forth of July wreath on the front door as her nesting place. This bird and I had an all out war over her choice of real estate. Every morning I sat in the kitchen drinking my coffee and listening to the scratching sounds while she arranged yet another nest, and every afternoon I would go out and dump her precious pile of pine straw back into the flower bed. You’d think she’d take a hint after a day or two, but no, she kept coming back day after day and rebuilding. Incorrigible little thing!

I finally relented and took the wreath down off the door as this seemed to be the only way to get rid of her (and I was starting to feel like a total jerk for destroying her house everyday). She retaliated by building a new nest in the bush ten feet from the door. This one I didn’t find until it had already been occupied by four little eggs. I wasn’t about to touch that.

After the eggs had hatched and the little birds had flown away, I dried out the nest and it became a part of my household decor.

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So, fast forward to yesterday when I began to hear an all too familiar scratching noise at the front door. I immediately went out to investigate and found my momma bird friend (I know it is the same bird because she learned from her mistakes last year) had already built an entire nest in the Christmas wreath I’m too lazy to take down year-round wreath I keep on the door because it’s so pretty. If I was a bird, I’d nest there too.

and…