Expert: Julia Booth - 7/15/2009

Question
A female finch has made a nest in my hanging plant on my front porch. Since I noticed the nest (which has four eggs) I was worried about watering the plant and disturbing her. However, without watering the plant it began to droop and exposing the nest. So I decided it was in the finch's best interest to water the plant, which she has allowed me to do and would return when I finished. I would like to know if I should water the plant once the eggs hatch so the chicks aren't exposed. My only concern is although I can water the plant now and she returns once I'm done, I don't know if she would abandon them if I disturb them once they are hatched.

Answer
Being a wild animal, I'm sure it's already taken into consideration that water might fall from the sky at some point during its nesting.

However that doesn't mean you can't find a happy medium. Perhaps just spritzing the plant with a water bottle?

That would be my only suggestion





Julia