These two empty nests were found on Labor Day, 2019. That seems fitting as surely nest building is labor. It’s hard to imagine home construction with only a beak and claws as tools and found objects for raw materials. Assembly is slow, yet the birds persist; building a nest is a labor of necessity.
Like humans, birds have preferences. Some like soft, some rough. Some towering, some low. Big works for some and small for others. I’m not sure what bird built each of these nests, but I imagine they were designed with form following function. A big bird, expecting a big family, needs something different from a tiny bird with a tiny family.
When their nest is empty, birds don’t sit around brooding. They know it’s time to take flight. I think the former occupants might be amused but proud that this human enjoys their artistry and skill. The birds would probably even forgive my vain hominid superiority that leads me to label one nest, messy and one, tidy. And they might tweet that nest building isn’t just a labor of necessity but also a means artistic expression, a mark of solidarity within the species, and a nod to family tradition. In that context, bird-brain takes on a whole new meaning.
It was better when birds were the only ones who twittered.