Section 4.2: Nesting Compliance

"Brrt-trrt-brrt-trrt-brrt." Woodrow Pecker knocked with the confidence of a bird who had never once considered he might be unwelcome. "Brrt-trrt-brrt-trrt-brrt."

A beaming new hen appeared at the edge of the nest. "Yes?"

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Cardinal," Woodrow tooted. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Oh, no. Just getting a bit of cleaning done. Please, call me Rosa. Mrs. Cardinal was my mother," she tweeted.

"Rosa, is Red here?"

"No, my husband flew off a while ago to the hardware store to get more supplies for the nest."

"I see." Woodrow consulted his clipboard. "And who's this little lady?"

Young Milly snuggled up tight against her mum. "This is our first daughter, Vermillion."

"Wow. That's quite a name for a youngster."

"We call her Milly."

"Oh yes. That makes sense." Woodrow bobbed his head up and down in agreement. "Well, Rosa, I'm afraid we have a problem here. I'm with the Woods Beyond Big Home Owners Association."

"Oh, dear."

"Yeah. It seems you and your husband Red have built your nest in a DO NOT BUILD zone. The branch you're on is load-bearing, but also dead. When the first spring gale hits, the whole branch is liable to split from the tree."

"Mister Mocking, the inspector, said it was fine and cleared it."

"Well, I'm afraid you can't take the Mockings too seriously. They spend most of their time pranking people," Woodrow chirped. "Don't worry, Rosa, there are still plenty of options available, but they are on the front side of the Big Home."

"Such as?"

"Well, have you considered Killdear Valley? There's plenty of space there."

"No, I don't think we could live by birds that build their nests on the ground. It's just not safe. Why do they even do that?"

"I don't know. I guess it's some sort of religious thing."

"I suppose so," Rosa tweeted.

"What about the bushes in front of Big Home?"

"Too low. We'll never get the kids flying at that height."

"How about Oak Tree?"

"Are you insane? Oak Tree touches the sky! Too dangerous!"

"Oh. I've got it! How about The Princess Tree? It's right in the middle of Big Home gardens. It has beautiful pink blooms all spring long. Stands up to the weather quite nicely." Woodrow puffed his chest, proud of his solution, and let out a dandy "Kik-kik-Krrik-Tsee."

"Oh. Alright. I'll talk with my husband when he gets back."

"Great, Rosa," Woodrow cackled. "You have until the end of the day. After that, daily fees will be applied to your account. You have a great day now!"

Woodrow flew off, leaving Rosa standing at the edge of the nest, steaming. "Oh! Why didn't we pick a nice neighborhood without an association? I know it's for the kids, but still!"

When Red got home, he and Rosa talked it over and decided to move out to The Princess Tree. It would be a longer commute to both food and work, but they figured they could make it work.

It only took a few days to build the new nest, with daily fees applied throughout construction, promptly and without exception.

A week later, Mister Mocking and his entire flock moved in on a catty-cornered branch.

"There goes the neighborhood," Red chirp chirp chirped.

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Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

- Matthew 6:26