Making Bird Nests
by
Bob4646782
https://fairmeadowplace.blogspot.com
https://fairmeadowplace.blogspot.ca/2017/03/making-bird-nests.html
I have alway marvelled at Birds making their nests. They are just amazing. I have a small pond with plants growing in it at the city house. Every year the Robins fly in to retrieve mud from the pond in their little beaks. They use it as one of their main building materials - that and grass. Back and forth all day and sometimes into the next day gathering mud and grass. I wonder that they have any energy left to lay eggs.
We have found the smallest nests perched between two branches of the Blue Spruce tree. There is so little space in between the branches that it doesn't seem possible for any bird to sit on a nest in there. The nests wouldn't measure any more than about 2-1/2 inches across. They are built with very thin, fine grasses with no mud or anything holding them together except the weaving of the grass. When we looked inside of these little nests we would find them to be lined with cow's hair, a cushion for the eggs and nestlings.
I found another nest last year that was made from twigs and grass. Woven in with the twigs and grass was dog's hair.
Over the years I have made a few nests. If you look online you can find any number of ways to build a nest and I have tried some of them. They look just fine, but I really wanted to try building one from grass, thinking it would look somewhat authentic to the nests I see around here.
I found two ways of doing it. https://fairmeadowplace.blogspot.ca/2017/03/making-bird-nests.html
Building Bird Nests is messy, so be prepared.
Materials You Will Need
Small pliable branches such as Weeping Willow branches or Grape Vine
Twist ties
Soft, fine grass, Rainbow grass used above.
Additional twigs, moss, birch bark, feathers, dry leaves
Glue Gun
Scissors
Method
* Wrap several of the willow branches around your hand to form a circle.
Use the twist ties to hold the branches together.
Make several of these circles with the branches as above.
Put aside for one day or more.
Materials You Will Need
Small pliable branches such as Weeping Willow branches or Grape Vine
Twist ties
Soft, fine grass, Rainbow grass. I purchsed the grass at Michael's
Additional twigs, moss, birch bark, feathers, dry leaves
Glue Gun
Scissors
Method
* Wrap several of the willow branches around your hand to form a circle.
Use the twist ties to hold the branches together.
Make several of these circles with the branches as above.
Put aside for one day or more.
* When ready to build the nest take the twist ties off the branches. They will spring apart slightly but still remain in their circle shape.
* Use the glue gun to tack some of the layers together. Add another circle on top if needed to build up the sides of the nest and tack with glue. Some of the branch ends will poke out. Use these to weave in and out of the nest. This will also help hold it together.
* Once the base has been formed as above, take several pieces of the grass and cut off the hard ends. Roll the grass around your hand and place the bundle inside the base. Make more bundles of grass as needed and place inside the nest. Arrange the grass to cover the sides and bottom of the nest.
* If the bottom of the nest needs more support, use some of the hard ends of grass and crisscross them on the bottom, and tack down with glue.
* Add twigs, moss, dry leaves. etc to decorate the nest.
This is one method and I promised you two methods. Please visit my blog at https://fairmeadowplace.blogspot.ca/2017/03/making-bird-nests.html and see my other method of nest building
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?