A bird made this

A bird made this. I found it in a park on one of my morning walks. It was on the ground under a tree. No eggs, no baby birds. The next morning I noticed the grass had been cut and this nest had been placed on a nearby picnic table. A bird did not put it there. 

I considered moving it for a better photo, but it was very delicate and moving it just a little would damage the structure. So, the person who put it there did so with extreme care. I am guessing whoever cut the grass, noticed it and moved it. I wondered about the thought process of that three-option decision. Mow around it? Mow over it? Move it.

When you think about it, this nest an amazing piece of work. Large sticks on the bottom and outside. Smaller twigs lay on top of the large sticks. Grass and pine straw finish out the bed of the nest and a touch of greenery decorates the outside. It was ultimately designed to be a habitat for raising baby birds. It was meticulously constructed stick-by-stick and twig-by-twig by a very small creature with a very small brain. It was built in a tree, no less. You have to think even seasoned architects would marvel at the construction.

So, whoever was mowing the park yesterday recognized this bundle of grass and sticks as something more. Over time these construction materials will disappear back into the earth, but before that happens perhaps a bird can recycle the materials? Maybe walkers on this path will appreciate the time and effort that went into building the nest and give Mother Nature credit for a kick-ass work of art? Who knows?

I, for one, appreciate the gesture and I’m glad they did it.