I have been observing a Boat-Tailed Grackle diligently build a nest from our porch. She seems to have found an appropriate place to build a home: insulated inside a gutter with a portion of the roof overhanging to provide shelter. She is taking great care as it’s obviously a valuable endeavor.
This busy bird flies to and from this corner of the building, carrying in its beak everything from twigs and grass to a prized bundle of knotted string. I wish I could watch the knitting and weaving process of creating her camouflaged home, but I don’t have a bird’s-eye view.
The string seems a luxury around here as other birds have come by the nest to try and make off with the clump of knotted string. The nest owner has fiercely protested and fought off intruders trying to take her nesting material. It seems they only desire the knotted string. She tugs and tugs until the perpetrator gives up and flies away. The thieves don’t give up that easily, though. While she was away, another winged creature swooped in, and went away victorious with the high-value nesting material.
Our winged friend does not give up that easily. She soon appears with another clump of entangled messy string to stretch, fray, and work into a snug nest which will soon welcome new life.
Whatever is of value is worth fighting for. It may be a relationship, your health, a dream, the truth, etc. What prized possession are you willing to fight for?
