A year or two ago, outside the window in our living room, we constantly had birds hanging around the window sill. We’d wake up in the morning and hear them cooing, we’d be there in the afternoon and they’d be sitting there — they were constantly there. Of course, Chris couldn’t stand it, so whenever he heard them, he’d shoo them away and start banging on the window. What can I say? He likes to mark his territory, especially since he pays rent for this apartment and they do not.

Eventually, the birds went away, but I always thought that there must be a nest underneath the window, otherwise why else would they constantly be there? Well tonight, our super came to uninstall and remove the broken AC unit to discover that on the backside of the unit, in the little nook were the remains of what clearly was a bird’s nest, and it even had half a broken egg in it. It was one of the saddest sights I’d seen. What I’d guessed about the nest was true, except it was even closer to us than I’d actually imagined — it was just on the other side of the AC unit!

This is what it takes to survive in New York City as a bird: you have to hide in someone’s air conditioning unit to be safe.