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Solid untreated cedar — naturally weather-resistant, no varnish, no chemicals
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Copper roof — keeps the rain out and ages into a beautiful patina
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Mixed tunnel sizes — welcomes mason bees, mining bees and many other wild species
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Carol's Alpaca-Wool Nesting Heart
Regular price
$39.99
Regular price
$39.99
Sale price
$64.99
Unit price/ per
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$25
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🐦❤️
Handmade in Boone, North Carolina
By Carol & Jim Whitfield — retired teacher, retired carpenter, 20 years of alpaca wool
"Jim bent that first heart out of garden wire in about four minutes. Filled it with a handful of alpaca wool from that spring's shearing and hung it from the oak at the edge of the porch. Within two weeks, a pair of Carolina Wrens had stripped it nearly bare — carrying every strand off to wherever they were building. I watched it happen every morning from my chair. That's where all of this started."
— Carol Whitfield, retired teacher, Boone, North Carolina
What makes The Nesting Heart different
🐑
Real Alpaca Wool
Softer and finer than cotton, rope, or synthetic fibers. Birds pull it free strand by strand and weave it directly into their nests.
♻️
Refillable Every Season
When the heart is empty, just tuck fresh wool back into the wire frame. One heart, many springs.
🔩
Rustic Iron Frame
Hand-bent wire mesh in the shape of a heart. Weather-resistant. Vintage garden look. Looks beautiful even before the first bird arrives.
🌿
Hang Anywhere
Garden hook, fence post, tree branch, porch railing — hanging chain is included. No tools, no drilling, no fuss.
⚡
Nothing to Install
No batteries, no electricity, no assembly. Hang it up and wait. The birds figure out the rest.
🐦
Hummingbird-Friendly
Alpaca wool is one of the softest nesting materials available. Especially loved by hummingbirds, Carolina Wrens, and chickadees.
🏡
Carol & Jim Whitfield
Carol taught elementary school for 30 years in Boone, NC. Jim was a carpenter. He's kept a small alpaca herd for nearly two decades. The first Nesting Heart was a retirement gift — a wire heart he bent freehand in four minutes, filled with a handful of wool from that year's shearing. It's still in the garden. Still crooked. Still on the same branch.
🌿 Expert Opinion
"Natural fiber nesting materials give birds a measurable advantage over synthetic alternatives. Alpaca wool in particular — with its fine, flexible fibers — is exceptionally well-suited to the micro-weaving techniques small birds use to construct their nests. In years of studying backyard bird populations in the Eastern US, I've seen alpaca wool consistently outperform cotton and polyester as a builder's material. Birds recognize the quality immediately."
🎓Dr. Margaret Holt — Avian Ecologist & Backyard Bird Conservation Specialist, Appalachian Research Institute
Perfect for
🐦 Backyard birders🌸 Spring gardens🎁 Gift for bird lovers🌿 Nature lovers🏡 Porch & garden👵 For mom & grandma📸 Nature photography💚 Eco-friendly garden
What you're getting
Real, undyed alpaca wool — no synthetics, no plastic, no dyes
Hand-bent iron wire frame — rustic, weather-resistant, made to last outdoors
Refillable for years — not a one-season product; just add more wool each spring
Attracts hummingbirds, wrens, chickadees & finches — birds that need the finest nesting fibers
Made from the final shearing of Carol & Jim's herd — one last batch before a happy next chapter
🌾
This batch is the last.
Carol and Jim are moving closer to their grandchildren this summer. Their alpacas will go to a neighbor's farm. Jim's workshop gets packed up. This stock was made from their herd's final shearing — when it's gone, there won't be more. Not because of anything sad. Because the next chapter is starting.