No Barbequed Sparrow For Me Please!

After letting the barbeque sit all winter, it is finally time to fire it up for the official Memorial Day weekend. I had started to clean the BBQ about three weeks ago but, found a little bit of a problem. I usually just turn the gas on and let all the old oils; with their accumulated flying cat hair, dust, and Lord knows what else that sticks to the grill during the notorious dust storms of the Mojave Desert, burn off and then scrap it real good with a wire brush.

With a closer look I find that some how, little chucks of grass were sticking out from under the hood. I wondered how that could be, when the hood has been down all winter? But, with the sometimes 80 mile an hour winds in the desert; you never know what you might find or where you might find it.

To my surprise, when I opened the hood of the BBQ, there was a whole glob of grass, and not just a few sprigs. I figured a kangaroo rat had started a nest in the BBQ, as they nest just about anywhere hot or not!

In the shade of a tree this would be OK, but in the flat-out sun; it is hard to believe anything living in here wouldn’t roast; as the temperatures were topping out at 80 + degrees outside the BBQ and under the black hood, well who knows how hot it might get.

 BBQ in the brief morning shade.

As I opened up the bunch of grass I could see 2-3 baby sparrows at the back of the nest. I was sure glad I didn’t just turn the gas on and light the BBQ as I would normally do. I didn’t take a picture of them as I would have had to use the flash on my camera and didn’t want to be responsible for blinding a baby Sparrow, which would mean certain death.

We kept watch on the little ones hoping they would be grown before the Memorial Day weekend. Finally, about 2 weeks later; the baby Sparrows were gone and I cleaned the BBQ before Memorial Day!

As the close-up denotes Char-Broil and quickset; we avoided both for the future Sparrows!

Not even two days later the next round of Sparrows decided they were so well cared for they would build a nest again. NOT! Even though they were cute and we DIDN’T have Barbequed Sparrow, we wanted our BBQ back for use.

We had had the hood down again; taped every hole we could find to no avail. The Sparrows were back building again. So, we taped even more holes deemed too small for entrance and POSTED a NO VACANTECY sign, but they still pushed their way through. Finally, we left the hood open and the Sparrows decided they didn’t want a nest where; there was NO PRIVACY and opened to predator attacks so they quit trying to build.

That isn’t to say I didn’t get attitude as they went to build their nests in the bird houses offered; BEFORE, they had built in the BBQ. LOL

They still come and feed and sing here everyday and their little ones know where home is… NOT… in the BBQ.
 

It was interesting to see what was used in the Sparrow’s nest. They had wire, cotton, parts of plastic bags and the most astonishing thing to me was… they had used other birds feather in their nest.

ALWAYS check the BBQ BEFORE you strike that match. You never know what you might be roasting! LOL

Have a HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

GOD BLESS all who are serving,

OUR COUNTRY and OTHERS

And

ALL WHO SERVED

THANK YOU!

Thank you too… to all their families who are their support and are serving as well!