Dream Home for the Birds?

By Janet Dodrill

Every spring birds fly and chirp around my windows and attempt to build nests in the inner corners of my aluminum awnings.

Bird building materials.

After a couple weeks of frequent visits by male female North American Finch couples, and lots of noise as they express excitement at discovering a location, in addition to hard work and frustration, they realize that there are no good areas in the shelter of my awnings, for a nest to stay and for them to prepare to lay their eggs and nurture their young.

The pieces of sticks, branches, stems, feathers, twine, and other debris-turned-building-material, lay scattered about my drive as the result of their fruitless efforts. They simply leave, as time is crucial, searching for other prospective locations. I wish I could tell them every year when they keep coming back with hope and enthusiasm. But then I would not be here to greet the onset of spring which they represent.

I share their sense of defeat when I look down and see their abandoned particles. But only for a day or two, then when I am unaware, they come back and quickly collect and transport most of their materials to put into building their new dream home nest down the street.