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I agree with those of you who think I've lost my mind after reading the title, but we have a mystery on our hands.
A couple of weeks ago while my wife was sweeping up the leaves and debris from the front patio after a windy day, next to one of the columns was a hand full of nails, probably about 15. There were a variety, most were about four inches, no small ones. Some new, some rusty, some even bent. We thought it strange because there is no reason for anyone to be on our patio. The only person would be our gardener who comes on Tuesday's, but he would have no reason the drop a bunch of nails there.
This morning, after spending the last five days away from home, wife was again cleaning the patio, and another hand full of nails appeared, about 20 this time, some new, some rusty, some bent, even a couple with the heads cut off, and one large staple. All the nails are large, at least four inches.
The only possible explanation we have come up with is it has to be the birds, however I've never heard of birds using nails to build a nest, for one thing, the hammer would be too heavy for them to handle. OK, I inserted a little humor into the story..!
There is a nest above the nail drop location, but it's separated by the edge of the roof, so anything falling from the nest wouldn't land there. I believe the nest is a dove, but it's stashed away under an area where two roof angles merge, so well protected and hidden.
We live in a gated community full of worn out old goats such as myself, so there is rarely anyone around that could be placing the nails there.
We have never noticed any damage or anything missing, just the mystery nails. We do have birds that like to frequent our patio, and we have crows the size of chickens, but I've never seen them around the patio.
If you people have no explanation, my next thing will to be to make an appointment with a shrink.
I might have to install security cameras just to satisfy my curiosity
Thanks for listening to a looney bird....
some birds will collect metallic objects (crows and magpies are NOTORIOUS for stealing anything from nails and screws to gum to small tools...) doves don't, (they build their nests rather messily and flat and don't typically carry much in general) but ome of the larger bird species, particularly those relted to crows (ie Blue jays) will collect bits of anything and everything that catches their eye.
strange to find a random pile though, expecially multiple times.
Doves build one of the flimsiest nests in the avian world. They simply pick up straight twigs in a criss cross pattern until they have a platform. I'm always amazed when they are successful. Your dove probably thought the nails were a new type of twig. They were too heavy and fell through.
Update, just this morning I found a huge pile of twigs along with just a few nails, a small piece of chicken wire, and lots of feathers mixed in, so I will blame it on the birds. The nest in the vicinity are dove.
Thanks for your feedback, I was afraid everyone would think I was crazy after my first post.
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