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Mother Cardinal on her nest - Update with PICS
Old-Colts
Member Posts: 22,697 ✭✭✭
UPDATE below with new pictures added:
In a previous thread (Looks like Spring here in Texas) I mentioned that a pair of Cardinals were starting to build a nest in a Japanese Maple that is next to our Laundry Room window. They built there last year and returned this year. As we understand it Cardinals raise two broods each spring, one after another, and as soon as one brood hatches and leaves the nest they build a second nest in a different location. They built there earlier last year, so this must be their second nest this year (exact location).
The nest was completed about 2 weeks ago and we must have eggs! Here is the picture again of the Japanese Maple; it is the small tree just to the right of the Laundry Room window in the picture.
PB Picture removed.
Here is a picture of momma Cardinal on her nest. I apologize for the lousy picture, but I took precautions not to disturb her, so the picture was taken from the Laundry Room though open blinds, a dirty window, and a screen with some sun interference. You can see the nest and bird center and slightly right in the picture. Her big orange beak gives her away. She is tolerant of us looking out the window as well as walking by the nest on the sidewalk outside and doesn't fly off the nest. When we walk out of our front door you can hear the male Cardinal in the distance start to give her warning chirps!
PB Picture removed.
UPDATE:
The two eggs hatched about 10 days ago and this morning my wife said the little birds were on the side of the nest spreading their wings and taking false jumps like they were trying to fly. We've seen some of this activity for the past few days, but this morning the mother and father cardinals were acting like they were enticing them to leave the nest. Sorry for the poor pictures, but a dirty window and the sun were my enemies. One baby is out in the yard and woods area flying with mom and the other baby is still in the tree, but out of the nest, and both parents return occasionally trying to get it to fly away with them. It is neat to watch nature in action! While all this drama was unfolding about 4 crows landed out in the road in front of our house, so I walked out the front door and they got the message and left. I think they were waiting to get a clear shot at the little birds and an easy meal.
Mom Cardinal at the nest looking at one baby off on a branch to the left and the other baby behind her on the nest
PB Picture removed.
The one baby left at the nest
PB Picture removed.
Both babies off the nest and in the branches with mother Cardinal looking at them
PB Picture removed.
In a previous thread (Looks like Spring here in Texas) I mentioned that a pair of Cardinals were starting to build a nest in a Japanese Maple that is next to our Laundry Room window. They built there last year and returned this year. As we understand it Cardinals raise two broods each spring, one after another, and as soon as one brood hatches and leaves the nest they build a second nest in a different location. They built there earlier last year, so this must be their second nest this year (exact location).
The nest was completed about 2 weeks ago and we must have eggs! Here is the picture again of the Japanese Maple; it is the small tree just to the right of the Laundry Room window in the picture.
PB Picture removed.
Here is a picture of momma Cardinal on her nest. I apologize for the lousy picture, but I took precautions not to disturb her, so the picture was taken from the Laundry Room though open blinds, a dirty window, and a screen with some sun interference. You can see the nest and bird center and slightly right in the picture. Her big orange beak gives her away. She is tolerant of us looking out the window as well as walking by the nest on the sidewalk outside and doesn't fly off the nest. When we walk out of our front door you can hear the male Cardinal in the distance start to give her warning chirps!
PB Picture removed.
UPDATE:
The two eggs hatched about 10 days ago and this morning my wife said the little birds were on the side of the nest spreading their wings and taking false jumps like they were trying to fly. We've seen some of this activity for the past few days, but this morning the mother and father cardinals were acting like they were enticing them to leave the nest. Sorry for the poor pictures, but a dirty window and the sun were my enemies. One baby is out in the yard and woods area flying with mom and the other baby is still in the tree, but out of the nest, and both parents return occasionally trying to get it to fly away with them. It is neat to watch nature in action! While all this drama was unfolding about 4 crows landed out in the road in front of our house, so I walked out the front door and they got the message and left. I think they were waiting to get a clear shot at the little birds and an easy meal.
Mom Cardinal at the nest looking at one baby off on a branch to the left and the other baby behind her on the nest
PB Picture removed.
The one baby left at the nest
PB Picture removed.
Both babies off the nest and in the branches with mother Cardinal looking at them
PB Picture removed.
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!
Comments
When National Geographic hears about you your retirement will soon be over.
This morning a saw a male Cardinal sitting on a telephone wire. Looking around for the female, I see her in one of the bushes close to the house. After she left, I looked for a nest but only found a Mockingbird nest with two eggs in it. Guess she was scouting the area for a suitable nesting site.
Will try to post pictures of the Mocking bird eggs.
Spring has sprung !!!
Thanks---Peabo
Peabo, thanks for the picture, I'm surprised you survived taking the picture of the Mockingbird nest. Around here they would have dive-bombed us big time! [:0] There is a Mockingbird nest across the road from us in a Crape Myrtle and every time I go to the mail box I expect to be harassed by the birds! [:D]
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!
Allen, no chance on coming out of retirement! [8D]
Peabo, thanks for the picture, I'm surprised you survived taking the picture of the Mockingbird nest. Around here they would have dive-bombed us big time! [:0] There is a Mockingbird nest across the road from us in a Crape Myrtle and every time I go to the mail box I expect to be harassed by the birds! [:D]
Those Mockingbirds are something else. While visiting Gonzales, Texas about three years back, one made a series of quick dive bombing attacks on an squirrel, as it ran over much of the court house lawn before finding safety in a tree.
Those Mockingbirds are something else. While visiting Gonzales, Texas about three years back, one made a series of quick dive bombing attacks on an squirrel, as it ran over much of the court house lawn before finding safety in a tree.When we first noticed the Cardinal activity I also saw the Crows out in the road. However, at that time the Mockingbirds harassed them so severely that they left.
We have lots of nesting Mockingbirds around here and they seem to tolerate us, so they must be used to us, thank goodness!
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!
Think something got one of them, but the other which I can tell is a female now, is using my feeder daily.
I have a ton of cardinals around here,......always have. I left a "brush" perimeter around two sides of my property, and they seem to love that.
I rescued a little 2 day old bunny, which my dog had taken from the nest, and dropped, unhurt, on my front porch. I handed him over to the expert rescue people.
They told me that the greatest risk to a little bunny in the woods is getting killed and eaten by crows.
I'm sure they would eat a baby cardinal.
Somehow, when they made Bambi they showed humans being cruel to animals, but the left out the part about crows pecking bunnies to death.
One of the youngsters still hasn't left the area and is hanging around in some Loropetalum's out front near the Japanese maple. Mom Cardinal keeps coming back to try to entice the young bird to follow her.
We have a broad spectrum of bird types in and around our property! The Phoebe's seem to love our front and back porches and I had a heck of a time discouraging them from building their mud nests on the inside eves!
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!
quote:Originally posted by kimi
Those Mockingbirds are something else. While visiting Gonzales, Texas about three years back, one made a series of quick dive bombing attacks on an squirrel, as it ran over much of the court house lawn before finding safety in a tree.When we first noticed the Cardinal activity I also saw the Crows out in the road. However, at that time the Mockingbirds harassed them so severely that they left.
We have lots of nesting Mockingbirds around here and they seem to tolerate us, so they must be used to us, thank goodness!
I've seen that too, Old-Colts. The crows will run off the owls too.
The cardinals nesting so close to your home is highly unusual in my opinion, too.
The cardinals nesting so close to your home is highly unusual in my opinion, too.Kimi, I thought so too! Our house is 3 years old now and the same pair has built in the same fork of the same branch of the Japanese maple the past two years! It's a perfect location for protection against nature. I suspect they will be back next year and build their first or second nest in that same location! I will tolerate our local wildlife building nests in any of our bushes in the flower beds around the house, all 68 bushes according to the count performed by the chief-trimmer-in-charge, my wife; but I draw the line at the Phoebe's and Wren's building attaching nests on our house!
Good news, mom and pop Cardinal finally enticed the last baby to fly away and follow them!
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!
Mommas back on the nest.
I'm surprised mom wasn't on the nest protecting them from the rain.
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!
Great picture cartod, thanks! [8D]
I'm surprised mom wasn't on the nest protecting them from the rain.
She is now. She has really gotten acustom to my voice and the sound of the pool filter. doesnt bother them a bit.
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!
It is amazing how they become accustomed to people when they don't perceive them as a threat! I walked by the Japanese maple all the time, even mowed and edged near there with mom on the nest and she wouldn't fly. My wife even worked in the flower beds near the Japanese maple and as long as she didn't get too close she stayed on the nest.
A will to survive.
I'm surprised she let you get that close, especially since she is pretty exposed! She must be comfortable with you being in close proximity!
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!