This is a post I typed up on May 3 but for some reason it never published. Here it is:

On Saturday I noticed a tufted titmouse gathering some of Cabal's hair in the driveway. The bird was furiously grabbing hair as if hoping to avoid attention. It reminded me of when I was kid growing up in Indiana and watching titmice steal tufts of fur off of my pet husky when she was napping outside. Dog hair (or most pet fur) is great to let loose outside this time of year for bird nesting material.

If you are going to put out nesting material for birds, look for natural fibers to put out. If you set out yarn or string, make sure that it is no longer than 6 inches. Birds can use long string, but there's a risk with long string for birds to get it caught on a branch and get tangled in it.

I've read conflicting information on dryer lint--some say it's fine, others say it's no good. Here are my thoughts: if there's no consensus, they why risk it? I don't use dryer lint. Plus, I'm not sure how much detergent and fabric softener residue is on dryer lint and if that would be a good or bad thing for recently hatched chicks. Stick to natural fibers and pet fur.