I collect bird nests from all over my garden. Sometimes a strong wind sends them to the ground. Thank goodness I find them empty, after the young birds have “flown the coop.” I marvel at how well they are engineered. Some are large, and some are small. I recognize these nests are made from materials that come out of my garden. It gives me great joy to see the results of my garden from another angle.
I feel these special bird nests are symbolic of new beginnings, life, good fortune, and more. I count my blessings that there are so many of them. When I recently hung a European coat rack, I knew that was the perfect spot for my bird nest collection. Nature is by far the best decorator.
Please share if you collect bird nests. Please share the best bird nest you have found.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Beuatiful! I collect them,too.
This is one of my favorites. It’s heart shaped.
http://dumbsainthood.wordpress.com/2011/02/12/second-hand-saturday-2ndhand-home/
Jupiter, thanks for sharing…VintageGardenGal
I love your bird nest collection – not to mention that great shelf! I only have a couple. One is very small, built of fine twigs, pine needles, and grass, and lined with soft fluff. The other is about 6 inches across and constructed almost entirely of horse hair. I’ve never seen anything like it. I used to have a hummingbird nest, so tiny and delicate but strong. I don’t know what happened to it – left behind in a move, I think.
I collect them also and use them to decorate my Christmas tree. Just lights and bird nests.
My favorite is a hummingbird nest. It’s made of spiderwebs, and is stretchy so that the nest grows with the birds. It’s amazaing!
Keels, what a great idea! Thanks for sharing…VintageGardenGal
Brilliant idea, I actually just spotted a few old nest in my rafters last week. How lovely that you recognized a few pieces from your garden, sweet little birds.
I don’t’ bring birds nests inside. Not real ones. But I admire those who do.
I look forward to finding the bird families returning to where they were the year before. On top of the security lights might be a warm spot…. the magnolia where they hide amongst the blooms, in the tippy-topiest Graham Thomas rose branches.
I have a shed on my allotment in England which is kitted out like a kitchen.
I spend a LOT of time out there!
Tucked into a rafter is a padded oven glove and last spring I saw that someone VERY small had made her nest in it.. she raised four adorable Wren babies.. they got used to me going in and out, she was a little timid to start with but eventually got used to her ‘landlady’.
The day came when she decided that they were big enough to leave the shed, she flew to the top of the open door, called, they all lined up, she then turned and spoke to me in Wren but I am not fluent in it.. and off they flew. And there it remains, an oven glove full of a Wren’s Nest together with my photos of those miniature babies sitting on various things in the shed.. what a wonderful memory.
GeeGee, what a lovely story! Thanks for sharing…VintageGardenGal
I collect bird nests too and keep them on the ledge where the wall meets the roof inside my garden shed. Unfortunately, when I moved several years ago, I forgot to take my bird nests with me. So I had to start over. The best bird nest I found was, unfortunately, one that was left behind so I don’t have a photo. It was constructed almost entirely of audio cassette tape. I would love to know what songs were on that tape that cradled baby birds. “Rockin’ Robin”? “On the Wings of a Dove”? “Blackbird”? “The Wind Beneath My Wings”?
Sheri, loved your comment. Thanks for sharing…VintageGardenGal
I grew up in New England on a farm & used to collect them as a kid. There were many trees on the property so that meant many nests. We used them every year to decorate for Christmas – they’re beautiful on mantlepieces & on a tree.
Nell, lovely, thanks for sharing…VintageGardenGal