nest

D brought me this nest which he had found on one of his walks and I think it is one of the most beautiful things I've seen for a long time. Joe and I were looking at it and wondering: how does a bird know how to build a nest? How to start and what materials to gather in the right order, and how on earth to put them together with no hands, only a beak...

This one has a framework of grass stalks, covered in moss and then beautifully lined with what I think must be horse or donkey mane hair, since it was found next to a field with both animals in it.

I've had fun experimenting with different ways to photograph it - D is out at yoga so I have a quiet evening at home. I had a nice day at work, where there was a definite Halloween theme in the kitchen - spooky cupcakes, iced skull cookies and pumpkin soup were all on the menu. 

This evening Max from Steilhead Cider came with his grandson to shake the apple trees. In return, he left a box of my favourite Nuthatch :-)