It's a mystery and a Carnival

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It's a mystery and a Carnival
I and the bird #73 is up and very amusingly hosted by A Snails Eye view. I love the Olde Englishe style, harkening back to those intrepid amateur naturalists who are so close to my own heart. And besides, I'm featured :D. But really - some delightful posts in this carnival.
While watering our trees yesterday I came upon this nest laying beneath one of them:

It's a bit under four inches long on it's longest side and is very tightly woven with bits of soft fur on the inside (probably from our dog Harry). My first thought was the doves, as we have so many White Winged Doves who hang out in the trees around the yard, but a minimal bit of research online shows me they are the culprit behind that loose pile of vegetation in the eaves of the barn. So who is this master weaver?
Prime suspects: House Finches, English Sparrows, Black throated sparrows, White Crowned Sparrows, and Say's Phoebes all hang around the yard quite a bit. I caught a glimpse of what I believe was a Savannah Sparrow yesterday. The heavily barred chest and belly are what struck me as unusual. We do have Curve-Billed Thrashers in residence, but they seem awfully large to squeeze into this little bag of a nest.
I only have the one little guide to Southwestern states here, and it has no clues as to what sort of nests the birds build. Really got to invest in some new books for this area, and get my library out of storage! So, if you know, please email me!
Speaking of the Say's Phoebe, one landed right outside my window here yesterday and peered in, cocking his head to one side and the other. He surely appeared to be saying, "Hey, whatcha up to in there?".
A beautiful little White Crowned Sparrow was hopping about the yard in the cold this morning. They are so striking with their bright white and black markings, you can't miss them. The Black Throated Sparrows are quite stunning as well, and surprisingly musical little singers.
Alas, I have played as long as I am allowed to these days, and must buckle down to some real website work.
Good birding!
Summer

Posted: Thursday 17th April 2008, 11:26 AM

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