As summer faded into fall this year, homeowner Cheryl Patrick decided to do some upkeep in her yard. Among Patrick’s tasks was to empty out the nesting material from inside one of her birdhouses hanging out back.

Up until recently, this particular birdhouse had been home to a family of sparrows, who, by now, had moved on.

“All summer, we heard the babies every day,” Patrick told The Dodo. “When we were sure that they were all gone, I opened the bottom to take out the nest.”

Cleaning out birdhouses after each use is recommended to keep the space sanitary for its next inhabitant.

But this year, Patrick’s role as a housekeeper to birds came with an unexpected bonus.

Removing the mass of twigs from the birdhouse, Patrick found cash — a folded $5 bill.

“I was floored!” she said. “I have never seen anything like that before.”

Evidently, as the sparrow parents scoured the area for nest-building materials earlier this year, they happened upon the bill and decided to use it to line their new home.

“I can’t imagine where they got it from,” Patrick said.

Patrick’s kind gesture of a providing a home for the birds had literally paid off. But for now, she’s tucked the bill away as memento of the feathered family who lived there, hoping for their eventual return next year.

“I considered it a security deposit,” Patrick said. “I can’t bring myself to spend it.”