Western Kingbird Nest: Sycamore and Star-thistle

Finally a use for star-thistle? Driving down Bruce Road my daughter remarked that she saw a Bullock’s Oriole fly into a domestic sycamore (London plane tree?). We pulled over and found instead a western kingbird on it’s nest. On closer examination the nest appears to be made almost exclusively of dried star-thistle. This is the first positive use I’ve heard of attributed to this invasive weed. An article citing the use of star-thistle as nesting material can be found at http://www.forestandrange.org/Rangeland%20Weeds%20module/sub3/p6.shtml