Tag: nest

Hornero nests

The other day I saw a hornero nest, broken, on the railing of a walkway through the dunes to the beach. You can see pieces on the ground. Probably broken by a human being of the juvenile variety, it begs a question: how could the hornero birds who built it think this was a good location?

Today I saw this: two hornero nests, side by side. Years ago I was told that horneros used to build their nests with the opening facing east for the morning sun, but with the increase in electromagnetic pollution, they had lost that sense of direction. I don’t know if it’s true, but the opening of the upper nest is pointing north.

Clever Horneros

At a beach entrance in Marindia, you can find one of the ubiquitous mud Hornero nests. Hornero means baker, and they are so named because their nests look like traditional mud ovens.

You know, like this. (Photo source)

But if some humans want to help and provide a ready-made solar-panel roof, well, so much the better.

The entrance to the nest faces the beach (ESE). I was told once that the birds build their nests with the opening facing east for the morning sun, but I have seen them facing several directions. The same person told me that was because they have become disoriented since the advent of cell towers.