Nests Nina and the Neurons

# If you've got a question And you don't know where to go

# Ask Nina for some help Cos she's got a science show

# She makes sense of our senses While helping all her fans

# By doing her experiments With potions and with bangs

-# Touch your tongue

-Tongue

-# Fingers

-Fingers

-# Eyes

-Eyes

-# Ears

-Ears

-# Nose

-Nose

# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know

# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know

# Luke he helps us with our eyes And Felix with our touch

# Ollie sniffs out smells and scents And Belle she hears so much

# Bud is Ollie's brother He helps us with our taste

# They're Nina's little Neurons And they're coming to your place

-# Touch your tongue

-Tongue

-# Fingers

-Fingers

-# Eyes

-Eyes

-# Ears

-Ears

-# Nose

-Nose

# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know

# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know

# Oh, yeah! #

Oh, ah! Oh, hello there!

I've just been weaving this basket

because it looks a bit like a bird's nest.

OK, Mrs Bird, now your eggs will be nice and cosy and safe.

-BEEPING

-Oh!

I hear a beep, I see a flash, I wonder what they're going to ask.

-BOTH: Hi, Nina!

-Hi!

We've got a question for you.

How do birds build nests?

Oh, that's a great question!

How do birds build nests?

Birds' nests are amazing structures but how do they build them?

Why don't you come down to my workshop and we'll investigate?

BOTH: See you soon, Nina! Bye!

Bye!

Well, I'm going to need some help to answer this one

and I know just who to ask.

OK, Neurons, time to get to work.

ALL: Neurons at the ready, Nina!

OK, today's question is, how do birds build nests?

Which Neuron do you think will be most useful

in helping us find the answer?

It's Luke!

CHEERING

ALL: Go, Luke! Go, Luke! Go, Luke!

Go, Luke! Go, Luke! Go, Luke! Go, Luke! Go, Luke! Go, Luke!

Cool, Nina! I'll be looking out to help you!

Today's question is, how do birds build nests?

Because birds have to look for different materials

to build their nests, Luke will be helping us today.

Stand by, Neurons. I've a feeling I may need help from all of you.

I need to get the workshop ready before the experimenters arrive.

Ebrima likes break dancing.

Maheen loves chapattis.

But they both want to know, how do birds build nests?

So today, for one day only, Ebrima and Maheen become the experimenters!

-Hi, guys!

-BOTH: Hi, Nina!

Welcome to my workshop and thank you for your great question,

how do birds build nests?

I just happen to have some birds' nests here. Let's have a look.

We're safe to touch these nests because the birds

have finished with them and they're clean

but normally you must never touch nests.

So what do you notice about them?

-They are all different.

-That's right!

Different birds build their nests in different ways.

And, do you know, birds don't live in their nests, they only

build them so that they've got somewhere safe to lay their eggs?

Most birds build a new nest each year. So let's have a look here.

Now, this is a blackbird's nest. Can you see what it's made of?

Twigs.

Yes! And the twigs are all pushed in-between each other

so they cross over and under like weaving a basket

and that helps them to stick together.

This is a reed warbler's nest.

Now, it's built by weaving together

bits of fresh bendy grass.

And over here we have a long-tailed tit's nest

and it's made from soft moss

and fluffy spiders' webs and it's even got feathers inside it.

So it's like a cosy sleeping bag for the eggs.

-How do birds build their nest?

-That's a great question!

Let's do an experiment to find out!

ALL: Whoop, whoop! An experiment!

We're ready, Nina!

So these sticks are going to be our twigs

and these balls are going to be our pretend eggs.

Now, we are going to try

and build the base of a nest that will hold the eggs using this

wire frame and we need to make sure there are no holes

that the eggs can fall through. So, let's go!

Go for it!

Good!

That looks great!

So you weaved all the twigs together and that helps them

to stay in place and makes sure that the base stays together.

I think we need to test it out.

OK, so do you want to take two of our eggs, OK?

On you go. Oh! It held it!

-So did it work?

-Yes.

It did work, yes.

Lots of birds build their nests just like this.

So birds build nests to keep their eggs safe.

Some birds build nests by pushing twigs together to make sure

-they stay in place.

-Well-remembered, Neurons.

Where do birds build their nests?

That's a great question

and to find out I think we need to visit a special type of building.

Hmmm, where do you think we're going today?

-Nina said it's a special type of building.

-Maybe it's a big palace.

Maybe it's a big wheel!

We're here, Neurons, but it doesn't look much like a big wheel.

So I have brought you to this special building to find out

where birds build their nests. So what type of building is this?

-A treehouse.

-That's right, a house that's built up a tree.

-Now, do you know what's holding the treehouse up?

-Branches.

Yeah, the treehouse is resting in the branches of the tree

and lots of birds build their nests in trees or in other places

like bushes, so that predators like foxes and cats can't find them.

The nest might fall out of the tree!

Don't worry, Felix, birds try to make sure their nests

are secure by building them in a particular part of the tree.

Let's do an experiment to find out how it works.

We are going to pretend that you guys are birds.

-So let me hear you say hello.

-BOTH: Hello!

Hee-hee-hee-hee! We're also going to pretend that this is our tree.

Let's have a look at it.

-Where do you think would be the best bit to build your nest?

-Here.

Ah, so not here?

-No.

-And why not?

-Because it will fall out.

That's right, birds build their nests where the branches meet

because the branches help to hold up the nest.

But, Nina, birds don't have hands to build with.

That's right, Luke, birds build their nests using

their beaks and feet.

So, experimenters, do you think you can build a secure nest

in this tree here with all the things that are lying around

-using just your beaks?

-BOTH: Yeah.

Let's get building!

OK, maybe some big twigs to start with the base, that's it.

Now, get some smaller sticks and let's push them

in-between each other, that helps to hold them together.

-That's it.

-Waaa!

-Well done! How was that?

-BOTH: Fun!

-Ha-ha, good!

Isn't it amazing that birds just use their beaks and their feet

to make such complicated nests?

You guys were working together to build the nest,

that's just like birds, they often work together in pairs.

OK, we've a nice safe and secure nest but there's something else that

birds do to make their nests extra safe from predators like Mr Fox.

-What do you think that might be?

-Hide them.

-Yes!

So let's make our nest look green by using this moss.

Here you go, take some moss.

Well done, experimenters.

You've built a great nest. It's nice and secure

and it's hidden with moss, so Mr Fox can't see it.

So our eggs will be safe!

Ho-ho!

There you go.

Lots of birds build their nests in trees,

they wedge them between the branches.

They sometimes cover them with moss, so they can't be seen.

-Thanks, Neurons.

-Why do some birds put feathers in their nest?

That's a great question.

Some birds put feathers in their nest to keep warm

but there's another important reason too.

To find out, let's do another experiment.

We have some orange balloons in here.

We're going to pretend they are our eggs.

We also have the basket, which is our pretend nest.

-Now, what do birds do to keep their eggs warm?

-Sit on them.

You're absolutely right.

Let's see what happens if we press down gently onto the eggs,

just like we are birds sitting on top.

Let's see what happens.

-POPPING

-Oh! Ho-ho!

POPPING

-Ha-ha!

-Keep pressing.

-Ah-ha! What happened?

-They popped!

-Yeah!

So the weight of the bird is pushing the eggs against the spiky twigs

and it's damaging them.

What could we do to make the inside of the nest softer

to protect our eggs?

-Feathers.

-Great idea! Let's put some feathers in! Ho-ho!

-Hee-hee-hee!

-Hee-hee!

Excellent work. The inside of our nest looks much softer now.

I think we need to get some more eggs.

OK, let's see what happens when we push down this time.

Yay! It worked! Our eggs are safe.

Even though we were pushing down,

the soft feathers has stopped the twigs from damaging them.

Birds also use other soft materials like moss and mud and leaves.

Because baby chicks don't have any feathers when they're born,

these soft materials protect them from being scratched by twigs.

So some birds line their nests with soft materials like feathers

to protect their eggs from damage.

And to help keep their baby chicks warm and safe.

That's right, Neurons.

# Nina and the Neurons. #

So your question was, how do birds build nests?

I think we've answered it.

Birds build nests to keep their eggs safe.

They often build them high up in the trees

to keep them away from predators.

They push the twigs together to make sure they stay in place.

Sometimes they cover their nest in moss to hide it.

And they often line their nests with feathers

to protect the eggs and chicks.

So I hope that's answered your question.

BOTH: Thanks, Nina. Bye!

You're welcome. Bye!

If you want to know more about the science that's all around us,

go to the Nina section on the CBeebies website.

Have fun!

# Super structures Super structures

# Super structures Super structures

# Super structures

# Some of them are tall Some of them are wide

# They're bumpy, lumpy, wiggly too

# Wiggly too

# Some of them are strong Some of them are small

# Like me!

# They're windy, whirly, whooshy too

# All around Look over here!

# Build it, stack it Pile it up

# Come on, let's get building

# Building, building, building

# Race it, hold it Make it stick

# Come on, let's get building

# Come on, let's get building

# Some of them are cosy warm Some of them are chilly

# Keep us safe and hide us too

# Hide us too

# Some of them are just for fun Or help us to stay dry

# They're underground And high up too

# Look around Over here

# Build it, stack it Pile it up

# Come on, let's get building

# Building, building, building

# Race it, hold it Make it stick

# Come on, let's get building

# Come on, let's get building!

# Nina and the Neurons. #

And remember, there are super structures everywhere.

Whether they're big or small, wide or tall, we can all get building.

See you again soon. Bye!

-ALL: Bye!

-Get building!