An Avian Architect...

Baltimore Oriole Nest

Look at the wonderful gift from last season's Baltimore orioles! Handsome and I were working in the yard to winterize the place before the rough weather sets in and I saw this dangling from a low branch of one of the trees between the farmhouse and the north field. Now that the tree has dropped all its leaves, the nest was visible.

It's the most perfectly constructed pouch to protect, hatch, and grow wee birds to fledglings. When I dragged Handsome over to the tree to point it out to him, he said he'd been ducking it most of the summer when he was cutting grass (and he never told me?!). No matter. It was completely intact, and I wanted to keep it that way. 

I ran and got my clippers and removed the section of branch to keep the nest intact and undisturbed. (I don't believe they return to the same nest every year, so no harm removing this one.) It now hangs in our dining room, close to a Baltimore Oriole carving I've had for years. 

You may notice the bracket it's attached to. Yes. It's acorns and oak leaves. I found it in an antique shop and you know I had to have it. Sometimes I hang a potted plant from it, and sometimes it's just empty to enjoy its shape. Now, it is the anchor for this lovely nest. Two lucky finds in one place. squeeee!