Bird’s nest duvet
This is a net of wool that I hang out in the spring. Some birds are happy to use it as nest material. No, the wool has not got a funny face, the brown bit is cat hair. After I brush my cats I take the hair out of the brush and push it in amongst the wool. I like to think of the birds adding it to their nest while having a quiet chuckle – cat helps bird – shock horror!
Wool and hair
Here is a nest I removed from a nest box a few weeks ago. Sadly the eggs didn’t hatch last year, but you can see the wool provided a cosy duvet over a base of grass and moss.
Bird's nest
I think the eggs belong to a Great Tit as I saw them near the box last spring.
Close up of the eggs
6 comments
Good idea. I too like the idea of cats helping to cushion the birds nest. Shocking indeed!:)
I have been thinking about hanging out something like this too, but never actually did. Thank you for showing, that’s probably just what I need to come to action.
I have heard that it’s not a good idea to put out dryer lint, as people sometimes do, due to the chemicals in detergents and dryer sheets being toxic to the eggs. Cornell Ornithology lab says pet hair is fine as long as the pets have not been treated for fleas or ticks. Sorry the eggs didn’t hatch, they sure looked cosy.
Here’s a link I found to the list of “approved” stuff to put out for nesting materials: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/netcommunity/attractingbirds-other
What a good idea. The wildlife needs all the help it can get.
Now that does look as if it would be most cosy and warm nesting material. I imagine that you have not told the cats what you are up to
I like this idea to give the birds a warm, soft nest to hatch the young.
The birds will never know the cat’s hair, if they do, “gotcha”!
The native magpies, a bird with a beautiful warbling voice, makes dreadful nests, lines them with old wire etc, anything he finds. We have a huge Hoop Pine and sometimes he looses some wires, even
pieces of barbed wire fall down. No duvet for the magpie.
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