I love it when I’m walking and spot a nest in a tree.
It feels like a small discovery, like finding an Easter egg (no pun intended) or a secret door.
From the time I was a little kid, my dad taught me how to look for signs of what’s going on in the natural world, pointing out the high waterline above a dry riverbed, animal tracks in the dirt, cottonwood trees where there’s water, and all kinds of habitats – burrows and holes and nests.
At the Arboretum recently, we saw a man was pointing out a nest in a tree for his grandson.
“You guys should check this one out, too.” I showed them a large nest right in the middle of a cholla cactus that would’ve been hidden from their viewpoint.
I can’t think of a safer place for a home – or a trickier place to build it.
Your dad did a great job teaching you – you’ve got an excellent eye! Love the cactus nest, and my second favorite is the silhouette shot.
He sure did! Thanks!
Lovely shots.. I love nature and it’s beauty. These nests come up more clearly during the fall season at our place .
That makes sense. Maybe you can spot them more easily as the trees lose their leaves. Here in the desert, many of the trees have small leaves, so it’s easier to spot nests and birds year-round.
Those are beautiful photos. I love the purple flowering tree, and the cactus. Those are big nests! What kind of bird makes those? It’s interesting that some are so low in the tree, too. I love the unexpected discovery of something special like a nest, or a shy snake, or eggs… I love how this post is written and presented. Beautiful ending. That cactus home was tricky probably, but so rewarding as I bet it makes them much safer from predators. Risk and reward!
Thank you! I think it was a cactus wren, appropriately. :) http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/cactus-wren
I wonder if the bird likes its home in the cactus, or if it returns there thinking, “I really wish I had built this somewhere else…”
Ha! Good question! Birds do to manage to live in cactus without getting poked somehow, so, hopefully, it’s not too bad.
Oh wow! That cactus! We have a bald eagle nest right off the highway on the way home and for the last few years she had laid in the same nest. It’s become a ritual to look for her (and her mate) in the surrounding trees.
That is so awesome! I can’t believe there’s a bald eagle nest right on your way home! I always thought they chose more secluded spots.