Monday, May 17, 2010

Barley Hair/Nest Lining?

For the last 2 days, an Eastern Phoebe has been dismantling her nest in front of the house, where a nest robber had recently divested it of its eggs, and reassembling it below the eaves high on the other side of the house.  

This seemed like a good opportunity to put out some of Barley's hair so it could be used as new nest lining. Barley was happy to comply, as he had plenty to spare.  So, I brushed him, cleaned out the brush, climbed up on a ladder to the nest, and placed the hair I'd gathered on a ledge next to the Phoebe's old nest.  In a little while, the Phoebe came back, took the tufts of hair in her beak, flew off, and unceremoniously dumped them out in the yard. Not a huge confidence builder for Barley.  

Fortunately for everybody involved, he's decided to pick up the shattered pieces of his life and move on.