It's great to start each week off with great questions from readers, and this week Leon from Massachusetts asks...

"My wife has a hanging flower basket on our porch, and she wants to switch it out for fall flowers now. This year, however, a pair of finches built their nest in the basket. Is it safe for me to remove the nest? I haven't seen the birds at it in a few weeks."

Birds can build their nests in the oddest places, and removing bird nests is delicate business. Once the breeding season has ended and the young birds have left the nest for good, however, it is fine to remove the nest. Just be sure to handle it safely (nests can be infected with bacteria and mites), and don't forget to give your finches a good nesting alternative next year, or they may take up residence in the basket again!

Do you have a birding question to ask? Submit it to Mailbag Monday!

Hanging Flower Basket
Photo © Jim Capaldi