For the Birds...Nesting How-to

By Cait Johnson, co-author of Celebrating the Great Mother (Inner Traditions, 1995).
Simple Solution
It is such a joy to watch birds flitting back and forth with strands of nesting material in their beaks--especially if you donated them. Birds use so much energy building their nests that giving them a variety of materials is actually very helpful--and it can be a lot of fun. One year we placed my young son’s silky cut curls outside, and he was thrilled to point and tell his friends, “Look! See that shining in the nest? That’s my hair!”
In this busy nesting season, you can leave offerings out for the birds in your neighborhood. Here are some materials they prefer:
Place these materials in small piles around the yard. If it’s windy, you could put them in a net bag and hang them from a tree branch, with bits sticking out through the holes for easy grasping.
Hair--both human and animal (When we brush the cats, we end up with lovely puffs of fur to put out. You can also comb out the hairs left in your own hair brushes to use. Or donate clippings from your hair trims.)
4-inch lengths of thread, yarn, raffia, or string
Strips of cotton fabric, about 1 inch wide and 6 inches long
Dryer lint (as long as you didn’t use those chemical fabric softener sheets)
Spanish moss
Feathers
Long dry grasses or dried leaves from iris, tulips, or daffodils