....but what I don't understand is how do they stay there ? I mean why doesn't the wind blow them down ?
I believe they use standard 2x4 construction.....the leaves are just stuck there for show......
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There is also this explanation I found......
Location of a leaf nest is important. Whether built near the tree trunk, in a crotch where several small branches
depart a large limb, or on a strong limb, the ragged-looking nests are located at least 20 feet up in the tree.
One biologist found that most of the leaf nests on his study area were built in conjunction with grapevines which
provided additional support for the nests.
Construction begins with a platform of twigs roughly woven together, upon which damp leaves and moss are
compacted to form a solid base. A spherical skeleton of interwoven twigs and vines is erected around the base.
The outer shell is then completed with the addition of leaves, moss, twigs, and even paper.
The inner nest cavity is six to eight inches in diameter and is lined with shredded bark, grass, and leaves.
Nests of gray squirrels may measure up to two feet wide and a foot high. Red squirrel nests are proportionately smaller.
Opposite the main entrance, the wary bushytail builds a leaf-concealed escape hatch.
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