Give our feathered friends a five-star nest ready for spring

Hinterland Homesteading
with Racheal Pascoe

Sometimes in our busy week, I find the most joy in slowing down (turning the news off) and making something. It’s the simple things which give me the most joy. 

I particularly love making things in the garden: a new trellis, a new corner with pots, a new archway, improving a pathway etc. 

This week I have found joy in making sheep fleece bird nesters for the garden. This is a fun activity to do with children.  

Making a bird nest hanger for your garden will support the parent birds who are looking to make a nest and then line it with softer material. My aim is to make a few to have around our garden in time for spring. 

Bird nests come in lots of different styles. Some birds use tree hollows, while other make mud nests, some simply scrape the ground and lay their eggs directly on the ground! Almost all of them though are looking for soft material to line their nests with. 

The soft material from our hangers is particularly suited to our local Willie Wagtails but also Curlews, Kookaburras and the parrot family. 

What you will need

Sheep fleece or any other materials for lining a bird nest. Eg. Shredded paper, straw, pine needles, hair, fine strips of cloth etc. Maybe the next time you are at the hairdresser, you could keep what falls on the floor? Don’t go cutting off your pony tail for this project though!

• Chicken wire (small mesh) 

• Wire snips  • String 

NB: If you don’t have any sheep fleece, I have a bag of fleece I am happy to share. Come to our weekly BBQ at the Nambour Town Square Markets on a Thursday morning 9-12.30pm. 

 Make the armature 

Cut a piece of wire approximately 45cm x 40cm. You do not need to be exact with your cutting, a little bigger or smaller will do. Make a cylinder with your mesh and bend one end it to make a closed off base.  

Fill with fleece 

Fill your chicken wire cylinder with fleece and other soft material. Pack it in nice and full. Gently fold in the top of the mesh to enclose the fleece. Tie string, baling twine or wire to the top of the cylinder so it can hang. Your bird nester is ready to go!  

Hang in the trees 

Find a place to hang it in the trees or even under the verandah. Look for a busy place where you see the birds often. Hopefully in no time you will notice that parts of the fleece have been pulled through the mesh and is being used.   Enjoy knowing you have helped the local birds build their homesteads. 

Happy homesteading everyone!