Bird Nests

Calvin and Ebie have been attending preschool classes at the Metro Parks here in Columbus. Classes are held at many of the different parks and the subject matter is usually about whatever animals you would expect to be active in that certain park, or just in the season in general. For instance, it's spring so one of the classes we attended was about birds and their nests.

The naturalist spoke a little about birds' nests, read a picture book about nests to the kids, and even showed them real nests that had been collected in the park. We sang a few songs as a group about birds' nests and then at the end each child got to fill a baggy with materials that some birds might use to build a nest. They were told to put the materials in a mesh bag and hang it in a tree in their yards. It might take a few weeks for the birds to find it, they were told.

Ours has been hanging in the small tree in the back of our yard waiting for the birds to find it for about 6 weeks now. It has been close a few times. Once we even put tortilla chips in the bag with the material to help things along. They ate the chips and left the material. But it still hangs there. Every so often, when we're outside Calvin will go up and check on the bag. He runs up excitedly, and when he sees that all the materials are still there his shoulders drop and he sighs. I'm thinking I'm going to have to do something about this.