Lessons from a bird’s nest

by TONI WALKER 

When we moved into our home in March of last year, it didn’t take long for me to realize that our big Magnolia tree housed a blue jay nest. Recently I was listening to the radio and they were talking about birds, or, more specifically, bird’s nests. That got me thinking back about that blue jay nest, and wondering what could we possibly learn from a bird’s nest.

Ever notice the size of a bird’s nest? They really aren’t that big. I mean I understand a nest’s size would be relative to the bird who built it, but it seems all nests have one thing in common when it comes to size: they are just big enough. As an egg hatches and a young bird begins to grow, the nest gets, of course, smaller. They do not move to a bigger nest as they grow. As their nest gets smaller, the young bird is growing and learning, preparing to “fledge,” or leave the nest. When they outgrow the nest, it’s time to leave.

You know another thing about a bird’s nest? It is sufficient to do the job. There is nothing fancy about a bird’s nest. Granted, every now and then you might find one with a shiny piece of ribbon or something similar woven into the construction, but mostly it is just sticks and twigs. They are all pretty plain and mundane. And with a few exceptions, you cannot look at a nest and tell which type of bird built it. I mean, you can make an educated guess based on birds you have seen around, but that is still just a guess.

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