Wild cardinal family in my yard

[Sunny Side Up]

I've planted a lot of native shrubbery to encourage birds & butterflies in my yard, and it seems to be effective. Among other birds we have a lot of the bright & beautiful cardinals year 'round. The spring is their nesting season, and their children are fledglings now. You can hear them twittering in the bushes demanding food from their parents.

This morning we watched 2 cardinal fledglings in the fire bush by the bird bath & bird feeder. Their handsome red Dad was flying back & forth from them to the feeder, bringing them mouthfuls of seed. The babies were almost as big as their parents, but still a dull red-brown. And they just stand there fluttering their wings with their beaks wide open and twittering. The Mama bird was there too, but it was the Dad who was making the most trips to the feeder.

He just looked so fine, rich, regal & royal in his brilliant red coat and square black beard, while serving his children with such dedication & devotion.

 

[redhen]

OOh, i know what ya mean!.. I just LOVE my cardinals...

 

[ranchhand]

Same here, they bring me such pleasure!

And the Carolina Wrens, who nest everywhere!

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I raise a fine crop of cardinals every year on the corn my hens waste.

Every once in a while a juvenile manages to get himself trapped in one of the chicken tractors and I have to go in and rescue him. Usually this just means opening the door, but I had one once that just would not go! Finally had to catch him to take him outside to release. Those big seed cracking beaks give them a bite like a ViseGrip!

 

[Laurajean]

About a year ago a baby Cardinal flew into my window and ended up on the ground, stunned and disoriented. I picked him up and soothed him, and slowly he came back to, and finally flew away seemingly uninjured. Here are some pics I got of him. He was so sweet, I felt privileged to even hold him for a few minutes.

(Ignore the bad manicure, lol)

 

[LeBlackbird]

I have a chickdee family near me now...

 

[Zahboo]

I love cardinals esp since they are our state bird. We have a nest of them and a nest of robins in our double story nestbox and I feel bad everytime I walk by because they fly away. We love watching them and amazingly they LOVE to perch ontop of the chicken coop.


Cute pics and OP, we need pics!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Laurajean, those are fantastic photos, just look at those gorgeous red feathers growing in on that boy! I couldn't tear myself away from the window long enough to grab my camera, just wanted to soak up the scene in my memory.

 

[Mattemma]

I love watching the natives too.Had cardinal,blue jay,blue bird,tit mouse,nuthatch,and 2 kinds of woodpecker.Unfortunately it looks like the house sparrows and starlings are taking over the area,and I just hear/see these 2 bird breeds.Can't stand them.

Love the pics!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I think it's cool how wide of a range these birds have across the country. Here's some info about them & where they are: http://www.shawcreekbirdsupply.com/cardinal_info.htm And to Mattemma & others, perhaps your local County Extension Office could give you helpful information to help you encourage the native birds & discourage the invasive exotics like the starlings & house sparrows. Maybe there are things you can plant or foods you can put out that would help.