The small, compact, cup-shaped nests of blue-gray gnatcatchers and ruby-throated hummingbirds are perfectly camouflaged on forked branches and scraggly lichen-covered limbs. These nests are made from lichen and spiderwebs. The birds use the stretchy, strong and sticky spider silk to anchor their nests to the branch and to shingle the sides of the nests.
Next time you reach for the broom to brush off webs from the eaves, consider leaving them for the birds instead. There are many reasons to love spiders. They are great natural pest control, catching pesky insects in the sticky traps they weave. Spiders are also an important food source for birds. And if you leave your webs, you’ll get to watch birds steal from the webs, and you just might get to watch gnatcatchers and hummingbirds utilize the silk as a building material for nests.
Photos by Michelle Reynolds
