Making birds feel at home
Former householders, angry at the financial institutions pursuing them, throw away the keys of their repossessed homes and locks have to be replaced. Fear of eviction runs deep in the Irish psyche; these are distressing times for many people.
Losing their homes is nothing new to birds. Humans began altering the landscape centuries ago, cutting down forests and clearing scrub. Trees with holes became thin on the ground and hole-nesting birds faced a housing crisis. Jackdaws tits and starlings, ever resourceful, squatted in chimneys barns and walls. House sparrows have been known to nest on lamp standards, parked vehicles and aircraft. Robins are even more famous for commandeering bizarre sites. Barn owls, as their name implies, accept offers of accommodation but with strings attached; they like to keep their distance. Ruined buildings are preferred to occupied ones.
