I have been putting dog hair out for nesting material for birds for years. Earlier this month I saw a Says Phoebe gathering some. But a few days ago, it was a broadtailed humming bird plucking fibers out of the cage.

Unlike the Phoebe, the hummer did her gathering on the wing. But then, hummingbirds do almost everything on the wing.

After a particularly big effort, she came away with a substantial amount of fur…

… and promptly dropped it. The Says Phoebe did the same thing. It must be harder than it seems to hold mouthfuls of fuzz in a beak — maybe like holding fur with needle-nose pliers.

But she rebuilt her fuzzy booty …

… and flew off satisfied.