Backyard Birding Forum

I heard this from the old grandma of my host family when I first came to the US.

 

She keeps lint from the dryer in a big plastic grocery bag and puts it out in the spring when the birds are building their nests.

 

That’s what I’m gonna do beginning in about 1.5 hours when my clothes get done in the dryer.  I’m going to stuff a thistle seed sock and hang it out.  Little to no effort on my part, no financial expediture, and hopefully it’ll help the birds with their nesting.  What could be better?

 

Thoughts?

I'm not sure if I've heard that one before, but it makes sense to me.

Someone bump this thread in the spring to remind me.  I keep a grocery store bag near the clothes dryer and put the lint into it each load, anyway.  I'll have a pretty big bag full of it by spring, if I don't throw it away between now and then.

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reminder.

I have been stock piling lint also. I am going to put out the thistle sock full of lint this weekend.

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Ryan

We have a nice pile of lint outside all year long in the backyard right near the feeders (because I can't seem to train the wife to clean the lint screen. When I check it and it's too full half of the lint gets torn off and goes down the pipe)

Still waiting to see if the birds take any of it for nesting. Haven't witnessed it yet.

Thanks for the reminder.  I've got a decent sized bag of it, I'll put it out on the stone fireplace in the backyard and see if it disappears.  :)

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I hung my lint filled sock this weekend. Gil let me kow if the birds start visiting yours. I have not seen any at mine yet, but it is still early yet.

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Ryan

Still nothing touching my lint but I caught this female bluebird tearing apart my sunflower planter box lining! There are already sunflowers sprouting in there but she was more interested in nest material. She lives in a box I put up behind the house this winter and she's been going back and forth stealing nesting material all weekend.

another shot of the culprit!

here's what i used instead since i think the mesh on the thistle seed sock is too fine.  i reckon any cage will do.  I bought this with a cake of seed in it for something like $3 at Wegman's (local grocery store).

Gil:

I heard this from the old grandma of my host family when I first came to the US.

 

She keeps lint from the dryer in a big plastic grocery bag and puts it out in the spring when the birds are building their nests.

 

That’s what I’m gonna do beginning in about 1.5 hours when my clothes get done in the dryer.  I’m going to stuff a thistle seed sock and hang it out.  Little to no effort on my part, no financial expediture, and hopefully it’ll help the birds with their nesting.  What could be better?

 

Thoughts?

Gil, get ready to save those lint thingies! Nesting season is coming soon. It's Spring!

 

:o)

I've heard both pros and cons on leaving dryer lint for bird nesting, here's a quote from a good article on "All About Birds."

"What about dryer lint? Some people include this as suitable bird nesting material. Others recommend against it because it is porous and dries out poorly if it's rained on in the nest. Still others warn that wet dryer lint dries into a hard mass, providing poor nest insulation, however this may happen only if it contains laundry detergent or fabric softener residue. More information is needed before we can recommend offering dryer lint."

Link to the complete article here:  http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/attracting/other_attract/nest_material

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Bob
Maryville, Tennessee

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