The creature outside my window that has been building a nest all week finally had a baby!
@bongzillababe in some places this is absolutely an invasive species but in this case it's actually a keystone species and ecosystem engineer! Here we can see it built its nest in the disturbed 'parking lot' habitat. These big species only have one clutch a year, between June and September, and build a new nest each time. The young fledge quickly and can even start building their own 'practice' nests within months! The nest sites attract other important species. Some can even have mutualistic relationships while the nest is still in use (ex. the more elusive large-bodied cement truck). By the fall, the nest will be entirely unrecognizable and will actually be classified as a city park/ multi-use accessible trail habitat instead.
