Lo and behold, my wish (or was that hers?) was answered. Laying on the ground right in front of me on my way home path was this beautiful little nest, complete with egg!
Not until I pick up a copy of Petersons Eastern Birds' Nests will I have an ID. That is, unless someone can help out here? The egg is 3/4" long by 1/2" wide. It's white and it's not clear to me if there is some dark brown speckling or if it's dirt. If it is speckling, it's neither prominent nor plentiful. I was unable to scrape it off--the delicate shell was crumbling under even a light touch.
Really lovely! How fortuitous..saved you the climb.:)
ReplyDeleteThanks Val! May they all be such easy pickings. ;-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a precious post today! I love nests and have gathered quite a large collection of what I call "blow-downs" over the years ( I will not take them from the trees and bushes because some species return to their nests the following year). Only once was I lucky enough to find one with an egg still intact and it was not in as good shape as yours. My prize nest is the sack like nest of a Baltimore Oriole 'couple' who built high in the tippy top of our birch tree and I watched them all spring from my desk with binoculars. When it finally blew down in the autumn, I found it bobbing in the lake up against our dock- I was so lucky to have noticed it!
ReplyDeleteOne thing I always do with my nests before bringing them inside is to put them inside a plastic bag with a moth ball for a couple of days- supposedly that will kill any lice that might still be lurking in the twigs and grasses; I'm not sure this is necessary after a few hard frosts but I still do it just in case.
So happy you found this little treasure!
~gretchen
This is my second blow-down. Oh my, collecting nests! What a great idea! But, I better not. My house is little and already there are few places free of leaves or cones. But if I ever do begin collecting, I will remember your moth ball tip.
ReplyDeleteAlas, the little shell has not fared well. I think it had been rain soaked and it dried out all curled up on itself. Perhaps a slower, gentler drying would have helped.
Petersons arrives tomorrow so an ID is hopefully forthcoming.