木村：私の家の換気扇に、つばめが巣を作りましてね。
山田：それじゃ、換気扇が使えませんね。
木村：そうなんですよ。人間が近づくと、つばめは自分の縄張りとばかりに、ピーピー鳩いて怒るんですよ。
Nawa-bari
Kimura: Watashi no ie no kankisen ni, tsubamega su wo tsukuri mashite ne.
Yamada: Sore ja, kankisen ga tsukaemasen ne.
Kimura: Soonan desu yo, Ningenga chikazuku to, tsubame wa jibun no nawabari to bakarini, pii pii naite okorun desu yo.
Kimura: Some swallows built a nest inside our ventilation fan at home.
Yamada: Really? So you can't use it anymore.
Kimura: Exactly. And whenever I try to get near them they chirp like crazy. Ifs like the fan is theirs now.
Nawa-bari refers to someone's particular field of knowledge or area of influ- ence.
The expression comes from the fact that the boundaries of property used to be marked off by stretching (haru) rope (nawd) around an area.
It's a fact. Birds living in the city don't build nests like they used to.
I recently saw a crow building a nest on a telephone pole using pieces of a wire coat hanger! Quite a change from a nest made from twigs...and I'm sure much sturdier.
I've seen nests inside pipes to drain water into rivers and some thrushes making their home in an unused opening. Instead of building a "nest," it's as if they prefer "renting a room." Some swal- lows built a nest in the fan in my office at school. Karera ga sekkaku, jibun-tachi no nawa-bari wo kizuita no da (But since they had taken the trouble to stake out their own area), we decided to leave them alone.
Jibun tachi no nawa-bari ga, kichin to aru (Apparently birds are particular about protecting their nests, about having their own territory). When anoth- er bird comes too close, they drive it away.
What do I consider to be "my territory"? According to my husband, "Daidokoro wa kimi no nawa-bari dakara, boku wa hairu no yamete oku yo (I think the kitchen is your turf. I'll make sure not to get in your way anymore)." I don't know whether to agree or disagree.
Watashi wa ichidomo nawa-bari ishiki nado motta koto wa nai noni...(I don't remember ever trying to stake out the kitchen as mine and mine alone...).