ATAMI, Shizuoka -- At a factory in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, young sparrows can be seen at the entrance of a nest that was originally a hornets' hive.
The hive is about 70 centimeters high and 40 centimeters wide. According to Isao Usuda, 70, who runs the factory, the hive appeared three or four years ago under the eaves of a warehouse next to the factory. "It got bigger and bigger -- I was wondering if I should just leave it as it was because it was dangerous," Usuda said.
However, he changed his mind and thought to himself, "If I put the hive on display, it might bring good luck." He waited until autumn, when the activity of hornets usually winds down, and moved the hive into the factory, where he hung it from the ceiling.
This spring, he noticed a couple of sparrows flying around the factory, and this month a small hole appeared in the hive -- he discovered the hive had become a "nest of love." Now the entrance of the nest is about 10 centimeters wide.
At first, the chicks only called out to their parents to feed them, but over the last few days, three young sparrows from the brood have begun flying around the factory. They are yet to brave the outside world, and one young sparrow has not made an appearance outside of the nest.
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