Nest

I was pruning the Philadelphus outside the gate when I noticed, too late because I had already severed the branch at its base, a bird's nest high up. I stopped pruning and left the branch suspended, but supported by the surrounding branches, hoping the bird would still use the nest. A few days later I noticed the same nest on the ground.

Its framework was woven carefully from blades of dried grass and fibres torn from them. Whole blades were visible on the inside around the rim, but the bowl of the base had more fibres than blades. The nest was further strengthened by thin wiry twigs like those of heather. These were present on the outside among blades of grass where insulation, in the form of moss and sheep's wool, was also applied.

What really touched me was that the bird had woven a strand of pale pink ribbon, about the same width as the blades of grass, around the top edge of its nest.