Nest spotting makes for great winter sport

If you haven’t taken the opportunity to get out and enjoy the quiet beauty of the snow-covered world this winter, time is winding down. I realize, of course, that many of my readers have had quite enough of the white stuff for the season and would just as soon let the whole mess give way to the vibrant green underside they imagine to be waiting underneath it all.

I’ll remind those folks that on our way to green, there’s apt to be brown, and plenty of it. The season of mud is just over the horizon. Better get out and enjoy the simple pleasure of arriving home in clean boots while you still can.

If you’re looking for cheap entertainment that includes a teachable moment that can offer a heads-up on the coming season, grab your boots, snowshoes or my own preferred winter footwear, a set of cross-country skis, and head out across the landscape.

I like to glide the wooded edges of fields, where I can duck the wind, spot the tracks of critters that have come and gone before me, and take part in an activity that is undoubtedly easiest to do at this very time of year — nest spotting.

With branches bare, and especially after an overnight flurry has dolloped an easy-to-spot “snow cone” on top of every nest in the neighborhood, you can catch vivid insight into where your winged neighbors warm their eggs and raise their young in the springtime. It’s easy to train your eyes after spotting your first few nests to develop a knack for it. It’s often surprising to note just how many songbird nests can be found in a not-so-large area where conditions for raising a family are right.

Remember, when birds are selecting a nesting site, they’re most often balancing stealth and safety with proximity to resources. What’s good for one pair is likely to be good for several more.

I am often amused by the nests I find right near the edge of heavily used footpaths and forest lanes — places I’ve hiked or biked past for an entire nesting season without the slightest clue there was a chickadee nursery right beside me.

Noting the height of a nest off the ground, along with the type of tree or shrub in which it was constructed, offers a strong set of clues for where to look for nests in the spring to follow. Another great opportunity lies in the fact that during the winter you can walk right up and examine the structure at length without fear of driving away the owners.

Be sure to leave what you find, however. While many songbirds start from scratch during nesting season, some species do return to last year’s structure. In lieu of that, another pair may spot a vacancy and set up housekeeping. Still others may scavenge materials from an abandoned nest to repurpose for their own creation. There may still be life in that old nest. It’s best to leave it to the birds to decide.

If you have comments on this column or questions about the natural world, write The Rail Trail Naturalist, P.O. Box 170, Fredericksburg, OH 44627, or email jlorson@alonovus.com. You also can follow along on Instagram @railtrailnaturalist.