Here’s a great way to tear your kids (and yourself!) away from the computer: the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is offering prizes to anyone who finds a “funky nest in a funky place.”

What constitutes a “funky place?” Almost anywhere, from on top of an awning, on a garage shelf, or inside an old boot. (I once had a phoebe build a nest atop a light fixture on my porch. What a kick it was to watch the eggs hatch and the baby birds fledge!) To enter the contest, take a photograph, make a drawing, write a story or shoot a video. Prizes include a Leica compact digital camera, bird feeders, shrubs for planting, and bird posters.

For details, go to Cornell’s page about the contest, which also contains guidelines for how to watch a nest without disturbing its inhabitants. Also click over to the Cornell Lab’s main site for lots of great info on birds, including live web cams of baby owls.

Posted by Betsy Wiesendanger, Contributing Editor 

ShareThis