It’s become a bit of a mid-May ritual for me to wander with my camera in the local cemetery in Huntsville, hoping to cross paths with the pair of House Finches that nest there.
That morning was wonderful. I found them perched high on a spruce branch, completely absorbed in their morning routine.
The female was collecting dried grass and twigs, pausing to arrange them until she had a massive, tangled bundle clamped firmly in her beak.
With House Finches, it is almost entirely the female who does the heavy lifting when it comes to construction of nest. She builds it herself, taking anywhere from two days to a couple of weeks to weave the twigs, grasses, and rootlets into that neat cup shape.
While she is gathering materials, the male will accompany her, flying alongside her from place to place. He acts as a sentinel to watch for predators, keeps other males away, and to defend their territory.
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