The Navy has a history of scuttling old ships to make artificial reefs for ocean life and divers to enjoy. I have a feeling that I’ve unexpectedly done the gas grill equivalent in my back yard.

I was hanging out with Joanna in our living room yesterday and gazing out at our back yard when I saw two birds hanging out around the wood pile on the porch. A couple of minutes’ observation showed me that one of them was acting as a lookout while the other went to work on the grill, dipping in and out of the drip can underneath. After a minute of feeding from the can, it surprised me by jumping up inside the grill itself, through the small-ish hole in the bottom!

There’s not a nest inside the grill yet, but I suspect it’s just a matter of time. Maybe it’s time to retire this grill to a corner of the yard and open it up as a feeding/nesting ground for little birds. It’s already teeming with wildlife, and I need a good excuse for a new grill, right?