Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Mash-Up

We were test sitting new couches earlier this week (when did upholstered furniture get to be so ridiculously expensive?) and came across this remarkable piece of bird ingenuity:



I like a bird who upcycles plastic.


I can't decide if the wind whipped the plastic ribbons out of the weave or were added later for a certain avian je ne sais quoi. (The tree is just outside Michael's, so I will leave it to you to decide whether all those crafters going in and out put pressure on the builders.)

Come to think of it, I've done the same thing with Mylar tape on the back of our house. Woodpeckers, who have managed to make Swiss cheese out of our siding, are supposedly spooked by flapping strips of silver.

I may leave a strip as an offering next time I'm by the nest. A little pop of color and woodpecker warning to spruce up the homeplace.

Each week Naperville Now participates in Mrs. Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday. See what others have to say about the letter M here.


19 comments:

Eden House News and views said...

That was lovely thank you

Susan said...

It's a good thing when even the birds are recyling. It's a bad thing when they are ripping up your property. I used mylar strips last summer to keep the sparrows from destroying my screens. So far it has worked.

Along These Lines ... said...

That looks like a heck of a nest.

Leovi said...

Yes, I like a good nest!

carol l mckenna said...

Lovely photos and great post ~

Carol of: (A Creative Harbor) ^_^ on blogger

Anonymous said...

OK, you know how averse I am to leaving comments, even though I am a faithful reader. But I have to say that your ruminations on the bird nest / plastic bags / Michael's store made me laugh out loud. And dear, after this particular day, the details of which you patiently listened to and shared my outrage and incredulity, that is saying something. You observe so carefully, think so creatively, and write SO well. Wow.

One reason I hate commenting: the word "ruminations" was rudely underlined in red the moment I typed it. I backspaced and re-typed. Still red. And since comment box font is seven point, I can't see whether I did something wrong, or whether spell-check is an idiot.

J.

debra @ homespun said...

I have finches that build a nest on the side of my house every year. Last years family had a dryer sheet hanging from the nest...I think it was their curtain! Anyway that dryer sheet and nest lasted all summer and is still there! :)

Unknown said...

What a wonderful nest! I love that they are into recycling!

Judie said...

I used to set out dryer lint for the birds to use. It made for some colorful nests! Your photos are great!!!

SarahBeth said...

What a great nest! I'm sure they went into Michael's and got some decorating ideas... :)

Johanna said...

Here in Savannah our leaves fall in the Spring (and make an awful mess). In the fall, pine straw falls and also makes an awful mess.
Southern woodpeckers like to work on my cedar siding too. I try to keep a dead tree off on the side to distract them!

Ames said...

How neat! And it was great that you took the pic to share. Birds and squirrels are pretty creative when comes to building a warm nest.

Rocky Mountain Woman said...

I've seen them use plastic before and it is really cool...

I have a woodpecker who has actually pecked his way into the log on the side of my house and made a nest. He is driving me crazy...

peck, peck, peck, peck....

Sharon said...

You are a VERY TALENTED WRITER, my dear. Keep up the good work!

Unknown said...

How do you get stunning shoots like this? Seriously, I am so jealous:)

Love,
Scudds

Lmkazmierczak said...

I'm thinking it's sound proofing...from all that parking lot noise♫ Here's my M effort: http://lmkazmierczak.blogspot.com/2013/02/mosaic-mosaic.html

Sandy said...

I gave my sister a hair cut the other
day and tossed the cut hair out on
the deck, the birds love it for
nesting... great shot and I enjoyed
your post.
Sandy

Splendid Little Stars said...

pretty amusing!

Jenny said...

Wow. What a fun nest!

And I hear you on the upholstered goods. I love Craigslist for finding furniture.

And then I get it professionally cleaned (which isn't, of course, cheap either...sigh)

This was a fun link!

I love upcycling birds!

A++