----- Original Message -----
From: "Clay Blackwell" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Cc: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:07 AM
Subject: Re: [lace] A bird of a different feather!
On Mar 24, 2012, at 4:30 PM, [email protected] wrote:
It was reported that nests need to be dry, and
the making of them from dry grasses, weeds, and twigs is safer for baby
birds, because the natural materials dry quickly.
We are very lucky to have Eastern Bluebirds nesting in our Bluebird box
each year. I don't leave any fibers out for the birds at all, since April
has always warned us of the dangers on this list.
But my husband routinely opens the nesting box each winter in January or
February, and takes out the old nest, and then scalding the interior to
kill any mite larvae. I have been fascinated that the birds build their
nests primarily with pine needles, but add a smattering of tree lichen to
the nest... In chunks that are large enough to be identifiable. There
are a couple of varieties... One which is the familiar tree lichen, and
another that looks like a (distant?) relative of Spanish Moss! which does
not grow in our area. It is a feathery moss, and unlike The Spanish Moss I
know, is just little bits. The point being, are they chosen to absorb
moisture, or would their presence add moisture? Or are they instinctively
adding something that will repel bugs or other undesirable critters?
Clay
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