Bird Nest in a Hackberry Tree

Believe it or not - even with all the birds that surround us at the ranch - this is the first bird's nest I've seen since moving here. (There were no eggs in the nest.) The abundance of ballmoss in virtually every tree makes spotting nests very difficult. (More about ballmoss at a later date.)

This nest is located in a hackberry tree along the fence line near the barn. Hackberry trees are not particularly attractive - many people hate them & consider them a "trash tree" - but they are very beneficial to various forms of wildlife. Birds love to nest in hackberry trees, birds and mammals eat its berries, and it is a larval host and nectar source for several butterflies.

I believe these are Celtis laevigata var. reticulata, or Netleaf hackberry, because of their sandpapery leaves. The fruit of the hackberry tree is somewhat sweet and was an important food source for Native Americans. The seed is large and nearly impossible to separate from the pulp so you have to eat it (it's perfectly safe).