Birds use variety of materials in nests; not every choice is a good one

DEAR JOAN: A while back you mentioned, I believe, one should put out dryer lint for birds to use as nesting material. Is this the time?

— Nancy Toledo, Santa Clara

DEAR NANCY: It’s never a good time to put dryer lint out for the birds. It’s a tempting choice, being so fluffy, but it doesn’t hold up under chick-raising conditions, and can dissolve in the rain or an aggressive sprinkler, making the nest unstable.

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