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kayreWatching the cardinals at my feeder has been interesting this year. Most years, there's a courting period where the male and female feed together- him protecting her and feeding her. Then for a while I'll see them only one at a time, while one stays at the nest, until they turn up with baby.
This year's pair fed together all summer, so I thought they hadn't successfully nested. Then a couple of days ago they turned up with an almost-grown baby! I suspect the nest is so close to my feeders that they've felt okay leaving baby alone for a few minutes.
a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kayre/4975692972/" title="baby cardinal by kayreVT, on Flickr">
Today baby came to the feeder all alone, so here it is! Similar to a female but hardly any crest yet, and still some baby fuzz in places.
This year's pair fed together all summer, so I thought they hadn't successfully nested. Then a couple of days ago they turned up with an almost-grown baby! I suspect the nest is so close to my feeders that they've felt okay leaving baby alone for a few minutes.
a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kayre/4975692972/" title="baby cardinal by kayreVT, on Flickr">
Today baby came to the feeder all alone, so here it is! Similar to a female but hardly any crest yet, and still some baby fuzz in places.
