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I just took the cover off my grill, and a bird flew out. It built a nest under the grill. What should I do? If there were eggs in there, would I be able to see them? If there’s no eggs or babies, can I move the nest without causing problems for the bird?

And if there's nothing I can do, what am I gonna eat for dinner?

Pull the nest let the bird rebuild.

Being able to see eggs or babies would depend on the type of nest. If there are eggs/babies in it you should have at least one very agitated bird hanging around. If you are absolutely sure that it is empty, you should be fine in removing it. Otherwise it's time for takeout.

Brown Eyed Girl wrote:Being able to see eggs or babies would depend on the type of nest. If there are eggs/babies in it you should have at least one very agitated bird hanging around. If you are absolutely sure that it is empty, you should be fine in removing it. Otherwise it's time for takeout.

Well, she is hanging around. Everytime I go near the grill, she flies away and makes a big racket from up in the trees

Just fire up the grill. If you time it right, you will get yourself a free meal, which is always helpful in these tough economic times.

As an additional bonus - if you have young children, this will teach them a valuable lesson about respecting the property of others, and the consequences of tresspassing.

rednekkPH wrote:
As an additional bonus - if you have young children, this will teach them a valuable lesson about respecting the property of others, and the consequences of tresspassing.

Welcome to parenthood, Frankie.

pema wrote:

Brown Eyed Girl wrote:Being able to see eggs or babies would depend on the type of nest. If there are eggs/babies in it you should have at least one very agitated bird hanging around. If you are absolutely sure that it is empty, you should be fine in removing it. Otherwise it's time for takeout.

Well, she is hanging around. Everytime I go near the grill, she flies away and makes a big racket from up in the trees

You're messing with her house she spent weeks building and she's about to pop with eggs....buy another BBQ for the year and let her be....you'll be rewarded with wonderful babies hanging around this summer. If you chose to let her have it, what ever you do don't touch the nest or eggs once they appear or she may abandon them.

Ukulady wrote:...you'll be rewarded with wonderful babies hanging around this summer...

Not to mention a car covered in bird s**t.

Actually, you can touch the eggs and babies. That whole Don't touch them thing is a myth. A myth to keep children from messing with bird nests.

I recently moved a cardinal nest - I had to. I put the nest in a palm tree, hopefully in a way that the parent birds could tell (I walked around the yard with the nest in my hand held up high above me head just hoping she'd see it). But cardinals are not very bright on the inside like, for instance, a mockingbird.

JustDucky wrote:Actually, you can touch the eggs and babies. That whole Don't touch them thing is a myth. A myth to keep children from messing with bird nests.

I recently moved a cardinal nest - I had to. I put the nest in a palm tree, hopefully in a way that the parent birds could tell (I walked around the yard with the nest in my hand held up high above me head just hoping she'd see it). But cardinals are not very bright on the inside like, for instance, a mockingbird.

Okay, my last name IS Cardinal and I think I resent that remark....guess me believing the don't touch the nest myth only adds to your cardinals aren't very bright on the inside.

I'm just amused at the idea of you walking around your backyard holding a nest over your head

And yes, mockingbirds are the smartest birds...they are my favorite....of course we don't have cardinals in California

Ukulady wrote:

JustDucky wrote:Actually, you can touch the eggs and babies. That whole Don't touch them thing is a myth. A myth to keep children from messing with bird nests.

I recently moved a cardinal nest - I had to. I put the nest in a palm tree, hopefully in a way that the parent birds could tell (I walked around the yard with the nest in my hand held up high above me head just hoping she'd see it). But cardinals are not very bright on the inside like, for instance, a mockingbird.

Okay, my last name IS Cardinal and I think I resent that remark....guess me believing the don't touch the nest myth only adds to your cardinals aren't very bright on the inside.

I'm just amused at the idea of you walking around your backyard holding a nest over your head

And yes, mockingbirds are the smartest birds...they are my favorite....of course we don't have cardinals in California

We have plenty of cardinals here and Cardinal fans too. I'd be happy to send you some of the latter.

Go Cubs!

spartan1979 wrote:

Ukulady wrote:

JustDucky wrote:Actually, you can touch the eggs and babies. That whole Don't touch them thing is a myth. A myth to keep children from messing with bird nests.

I recently moved a cardinal nest - I had to. I put the nest in a palm tree, hopefully in a way that the parent birds could tell (I walked around the yard with the nest in my hand held up high above me head just hoping she'd see it). But cardinals are not very bright on the inside like, for instance, a mockingbird.

Okay, my last name IS Cardinal and I think I resent that remark....guess me believing the don't touch the nest myth only adds to your cardinals aren't very bright on the inside.

I'm just amused at the idea of you walking around your backyard holding a nest over your head

And yes, mockingbirds are the smartest birds...they are my favorite....of course we don't have cardinals in California

We have plenty of cardinals here and Cardinal fans too. I'd be happy to send you some of the latter.

Go Cubs!

HEY NOW!!!!!!!

This is what you get for not using your grill every night through the winter blizzards and early spring rains! What's the matter with you?

Carolinadreamin' wrote:This is what you get for not using your grill every night through the winter blizzards and early spring rains! What's the matter with you?

I've been neglecting my grill, and this is my punishment?

Ukulady wrote:

JustDucky wrote:Actually, you can touch the eggs and babies. That whole Don't touch them thing is a myth. A myth to keep children from messing with bird nests.

I recently moved a cardinal nest - I had to. I put the nest in a palm tree, hopefully in a way that the parent birds could tell (I walked around the yard with the nest in my hand held up high above me head just hoping she'd see it). But cardinals are not very bright on the inside like, for instance, a mockingbird.

Okay, my last name IS Cardinal and I think I resent that remark....guess me believing the don't touch the nest myth only adds to your cardinals aren't very bright on the inside.

I'm just amused at the idea of you walking around your backyard holding a nest over your head

And yes, mockingbirds are the smartest birds...they are my favorite....of course we don't have cardinals in California

It's best to err on the side of caution if you can. Birds have been known to abandon nests/babies when they've been touched...and they've also been known to go back to the nest after human intervention. There's just no sure way to tell, so when it's possible it is best just to leave them alone. Oftentimes you *need* to get a fledgling off the ground if it has fallen so that the roaming cats won't get it. Most of the time though the parents are close by and will take care of the fledgling.

I also disagree with cardinals not being very bright. Most birds are pretty smart...the exception may be mourning doves.

And Uku...we DO have cardinals here in Cali. They've been introduced over the years. There are some here at Whittier Narrows, one or two spotted in either SB or Riverside counties (can't remember which) and I *think* there might even have been one spotted in OC. I'll have to go back and check my reports. They are rather plentiful in AZ...seems kinda weird they haven't multiplied in SoCal as of yet.

Brown Eyed Girl wrote:

Ukulady wrote:

JustDucky wrote:Actually, you can touch the eggs and babies. That whole Don't touch them thing is a myth. A myth to keep children from messing with bird nests.

I recently moved a cardinal nest - I had to. I put the nest in a palm tree, hopefully in a way that the parent birds could tell (I walked around the yard with the nest in my hand held up high above me head just hoping she'd see it). But cardinals are not very bright on the inside like, for instance, a mockingbird.

Okay, my last name IS Cardinal and I think I resent that remark....guess me believing the don't touch the nest myth only adds to your cardinals aren't very bright on the inside.

I'm just amused at the idea of you walking around your backyard holding a nest over your head

And yes, mockingbirds are the smartest birds...they are my favorite....of course we don't have cardinals in California

It's best to err on the side of caution if you can. Birds have been known to abandon nests/babies when they've been touched...and they've also been known to go back to the nest after human intervention. There's just no sure way to tell, so when it's possible it is best just to leave them alone. Oftentimes you *need* to get a fledgling off the ground if it has fallen so that the roaming cats won't get it. Most of the time though the parents are close by and will take care of the fledgling.

I also disagree with cardinals not being very bright. Most birds are pretty smart...the exception may be mourning doves.

And Uku...we DO have cardinals here in Cali. They've been introduced over the years. There are some here at Whittier Narrows, one or two spotted in either SB or Riverside counties (can't remember which) and I *think* there might even have been one spotted in OC. I'll have to go back and check my reports. They are rather plentiful in AZ...seems kinda weird they haven't multiplied in SoCal as of yet.

Are you around Whittier Narrows? I used to live at Rose Hills and the 605. Anyway, I remember seeing one at an animal preserve in Indio a few years back, they called it an Arizona Cardinal (no it wasn't a football player). It seems their territory is expanding. I've never been back east but I would love to see one in the wild. When I was a little girl my Dad was on a business trip in Philly and called me just to tell me there were cardinals outside his hotel window. Too cool!

make soup out it. Had some great bird's nest soup at a Chinese restaurant last night.

Perhaps you could find a new spot for the nest. Move the grill along with the nest over right next to that spot for a day or two to let the mother bird adjust to the new location. Then take the nest out and put it in its new home and leave the grill there for another day or so. Then move the grill away. If all goes well, the mother bird will adjust to the new location. If all doesn't go well, your husband/wife/kids/neighbors/BN phriends will ridicule you for trying so hard and failing.