Web of Protection

  Down near the marsh edge on the east side of the house, there is a large clump of underbrush and palmettos.  Entwined in all of that are dozens of large smilax vines.  These vines twist and turn through the shrubbery and palmettos creating an almost impenetrable mesh.  The whole lot looks a total mess and I really should break down and cut it.  I don't.  I don't for one simple reason.  It is a fortress of sorts.

  In that clump of tangles a brown thrasher has made her nest for the past few years.  While she is vulnerable to snakes not much else can reach her or her nest.  The eggs are safe.  Once the eggs hatch, her little ones are well protected against most predators. Even after the little ones fledge, they have the instinct to return to the tangles when threatened.  Land critters such as fox, bobcats and even feral cats cannot slip through the tangles without calling attention to themselves.  Large birds seeking attack from above cannot maneuver through the web  The thrasher did a good job choosing this site for her nest.  I do not have the heart to destroy her world simply for the sake of having a "clean" yard.  

  In fact, the tangled mess is rather interesting.  My daily hikes take me around the back of the clump where I never  know what may be in the path.  Even the tangled vines serve as a point of interest.  With that in mind, I can fully convince myself that the "habitat" needs to stay.  The web of protection shall continue to surround the Thrasher family.