Magpie nests are growing up
Author Lao Min
Returning to his home in rural Huazhou during the Spring Festival, he found that there were several more magpie nests on the tall and tall poplar trees in the village. Coupled with the appearance of flocks of sparrows flying in the air from time to time, I can't help but lament the changes in the environment and the improvement of the living environment of birds.
In the countryside, the easiest thing to see when you look up is the huge magpie nest on the tall and tall tree, and some places call it the old crow's nest.
Magpie is a bird that has been loved by people since ancient times, and there are many beautiful myths and legends about it, and folk use it as a symbol of "auspiciousness". It plays an active role in eliminating pests and removing litter from the field.
Once upon a time, however, magpies became rare to find. In addition to the extensive use of pesticides, especially highly toxic pesticides, which have led to the death of a large number of magpies. In addition, indiscriminate hunting and indiscriminate killing, unscrupulous indiscriminate killing has led to a sharp decline in the number of birds of all kinds, and in some places it has even disappeared.
I remember when I was a child, I saw adults go up to trees to dig bird eggs, and even climbed up trees to tear down magpies' nests. Although it is an adult, it is not very easy to tear down a magpie nest. From under the tree, the magpie nest is particularly rough, but it is also difficult to pull a branch. Some people had no choice but to give up, while others cruelly cut off branches and brought down an entire magpie nest. Sometimes there are eggs in the nests that fall down, and sometimes there are squeaking young birds. The weight of the bird's nest that fell down is as small as thirty or fifty pounds, and the weight is even more than a hundred pounds, and several people can lift it. At that time, I didn't know what cruelty was, but I just thought it was fun and watched the hilarity. Later, when I think about these things, I feel how ferocious and bloody it was. It may also be for these reasons that the nests of old crows in the trees in the village are gradually decreasing. It is so rare that people see an old crow's nest and think it is a rarity.
Once, when I went to the mountains, I suddenly found several old crow's nests on a big tree, and I felt very surprised, and even had a feeling of long absence. The magpie nest looks very rough, but in fact the structure is very reasonable and scientific. Arguably, magpies are great architects. The bird's nest in Beijing's gymnasium was developed and designed according to the principle of magpie's nest. The magpie's nest looks like a simple thatched hut from the outside, but in fact there are holes in the inside. The outermost layer is made up of thick branches, weeds and dirt, which is very hard after solidification and can withstand the cold outside. The middle layer is made of thin branches and dirt to protect the wind and rain, and the innermost layer is made of shredded linen, hair, and feathers to maximize the comfort of the chicks. The structure is rigorous and reasonable, and it is perfect.
In recent years, on the big trees in the countryside, and even on the high-voltage poles, there have been old crow nests one after another, which really makes people feel happy and relieved. Yes, the environment has changed, and the killing of birds has become a crackdown. The restriction of the use of highly toxic pesticides is also indispensable. Human beings consciously protect birds, so that the number of birds has increased dramatically, and the growing number of old crow nests on the trees at the mouth of the village is the best witness.
Just like the dense bamboo in my yard, every night comes, there are a large number of sparrows perched between the branches and leaves of the bamboo, which makes people feel that the birds are lucky and happy now, and the cheerful chirping sounds like singing. Whenever the night comes, standing under this small bamboo forest, it feels like walking into the primeval forest, and the birds are melodious and cheerful. I think this may be the feeling of people and birds living in harmony and feeling happy, and I am really happy with this atmosphere.
【About the author】Lao Min, a native of Huazhou District, Weinan, Shaanxi. He is a member of the Municipal Writers Association, and his works are scattered in various print media publications and online platforms.
Source: 3 reasons to recommend Huashan Literature
Original author: Lao Min
Compilation and editing: Huashan literature, Huazhou literature and history