Sunday, December 05, 2010

An Empty Bird Nest

When I saw the Canvasbacks at De Korte Park yesterday, I happened to spot an empty bird nest around the same location on the trail. This must be left over from the breeding season; I presume it was the past one since the nest seemed to be fully intact. The nest was at eye level in a crabapple tree along the side of dike running between two impoundments. The cup hung beyond my reach over the impoundment, so I was not able to see inside to check if the eggs had hatched.

I am not sure which bird species used this nest. One possibility is Yellow Warbler, a species I have encountered at De Korte Park during past breeding seasons. The nest seems about the right size for a wood warbler, as it was only about 3-4 inches wide at the top. The location and materials also seem to be right for that species.