Mama bird uses pandemic token to nest at national park — in a golf cart, photos show
The coronavirus forced humans out of national parks. Now animals are taking up the spaces they once occupied.
At Moores Creek National Battlefield in North Carolina, rangers were surprised to stumble upon “evidence of Mother Nature taking advantage” in a golf cart left unattended after the park closed in March.
Tucked into the shadows was a bird nest.
“In this park golf cart, usually used by our maintenance staff, you can see that a bird has carefully built a nest and has several eggs nestled inside,” the park said in a Facebook post over the weekend.
But it wasn’t just any nest.
Interwoven among the twigs and moss — as if nodding to the moment in time — is a medical mask left behind by the maintenance workers.
“This mask, designed to keep us safe, was used by this mother for a similar purpose, to make sure that all of her young are protected as well,” the park said.
Moores Creek National Battlefield in Currie is the site of the 1776 battle between British loyalists and North Carolina patriots. It was one of the first significant victories in the American Revolution, according to its website.
The park lies northeast of Wilmington, about 30 miles from the eastern shoreline in North Carolina.
When the coronavirus struck, park officials opted to close the visitor center and public restrooms on March 24. All park facilities are closed until further notice, but trails remain open.
In the meantime, rangers have posted near-daily updates on Facebook — including news of the unexpected bird nest.
The post received comments from almost 500 people and was shared 143 times since it was posted Saturday.
A representative from the park didn’t immediately respond to questions from McClatchy News about the origin of the bird or her babies, but someone on the page suggested the nest might belong to a Carolina wren.
Others were just thankful for a glimpse of good news.
“I really love you guys. Such wholesomeness. Thank you,” one person commented.
Someone else liked the bird’s creativity: “Recycled face masks!”
And at least one had a sense of déjà vu.
“Looks like a scene from Jurassic World,” he said.
