I have been reading up on many of the little insect eaters and am surprised how many of them use spiders webs in their nest building. Undoubtedly spiders would also be food for the birds.
This has made me more aware of the links from one type of animal to the other. It is amazing how interlinked everything is in the environment.
I will be sure to leave the spiders in my garden well alone so they can continue to provide nesting material and food for the birds.
Regards
Wollemi
Wollemi, you've hit on a principle that is so important in conserving our bird life. Everything is dependent on everything else so to conserve birds in an area it's so important to try to replicate the ecology that once existed before many of them were significantly changed by humans. E.g, native grasses are important breeding places for a number of butterfly species. Butterfly lavae are important food for a variety of critters, including birds. Unfortunately, most of our native grasslands have been destroyed and this, I believe, has been a critical factor in the decline of our butterfly populations. In turn, this affects our bird populations.
So preserve those spiders, Wollemi.
Woko
I once saw a bird taking fur from a koala and taking it back to its nest :-)
The koala didn't seem to mind.
- soakes
Another excellent example,soakes.
New Holland honeyeaters pick pieces from our disintegrating door mat during nesting time. It makes me feel...like a doormat. But it shows what great opportunists birds (& other animals) are. Just like humans, really.
Woko
I thought little Willy was lost when he flew into my large shed and was worried that he'd get stuck in there but he was an expert and just getting some daddy long leg spider web for his nest. lol, theres heaps in there and by the way it doesnt get sprayed with insecticide as i really dig those spiders.
In areas where we dont put up with spiders we remove them to outside.
Early in spring, when my dogs shed their winter coat, I brush them outside. All the little birds come and pick some up for nesting. I'm never sure, if that is a good idea, as I have tried to make it wet, and found it is NOT water repellant.So, the question here is: Should I leave the dogs hair or not??? Very inerested in your thoughts!!! (if it soakes up water, it won't be good for the as nesting material?)
M-L
I reckon itll be fine as long as its natural stuff because the birds then know what theyre dealing with.
Stuff i clean up and dont leave around is man made fibre types and thread that can tangle birds up like a net.
When I had my German Shepherd and he lost all his double coat as the warmer weather came in NZ, the sparrows would come down and all had little moustaches as they flew back to line their nests LOL It was very cute. The noisy miners here have shredded the nylon clothesline in my garden and ripped up the fibres underneath for their nests.
Love birding on the Sunshine Coast Qld
Hi Snotty,I'm with you on the spider's side!! We have a house full of cobwebs!(LOL) The big spiders , we trap under a glas, big enough not to squish their little legs, then we take them outside. Somehow I get the feeling, they tell all their mates that our house is spider friendly. I think there are a few more every time they come back!?
M-L