ptoviding nesting materials

I was on a fabulous garden tour last summer and noticed one gardener had filled her suet baskets with what looked like nesting materials for her very busy, feathered friend-garden. It seemed like a great idea. I have several books on birds but I can't find much info on which birds like what. Any ideas for a quick search? And, does anybody out there do this? Is it really helpful?

Dog (and cat) hair is very popular. With long-haired breeds, snip the hair up so there are no very long hairs which could trap the legs of a nestling. Ditto for wool.

Moss raked out of a lawn is also good (provided the lawn hasn't been treated with herbicide).

Do NOT use artificial fibres, or lint from tumble driers.

Resin

Yepper, One of my suet feeders is packed full of dog hair. It gets taken out regularly so I know it's in many nests close by.

My flock of grackles has been busy shredding the coir lining of a planter that contained last years herbs. I couldn't believe how much one of those long beaks can hold.

Roger

Or, use last year's leftover Cardinal climber vines…

Great photos, Mrs. Ed!! Thanks for the advice, folks.....I have put out ragdoll cat fluff and wool in one of the suet baskets. We'll see what happens....

I know that the sparrows go through my dog hair like crazy. I put it out for the wrens though!! I never saw the wrens or any other bird use it. The Cardinals were picking at the old daffodils and I never saw the Robins that nested here once taking items. I put mine in a suet feeder too, and attach to the fence.

I put out about two big handfuls of the kitty fur and the suet basket is PICKED clean! My ragdoll spends most of the day watching his feathered "friends" from the back slider. The Carolina wrens will sometimes hop over to the glass and "buzz" at him (they are so cheeky)....he gets so excited. If he only knew how much they appreciate his "gift"!!

This little American Goldfinch is gathering seed from the cattails for lining.

I put some cattails on the fence for the hummers.

Wow Tiger, that's pretty cool!!!

That is great! Thanks so much for sharing that with us tiger!!

You're welcome! The wind took them from the fence last night, but I'll get more (wear your boots!) and hang them outside the windows near the feeders.

Has anyone else noticed higher hummer numbers than in the past? My last count was two and a half times what I've previously had.

Wow thats great! Maybe adel could say what he has this year.