When I dragged my Great Dane away from the duranta bush in the back yard, I found out why she was so interested in this particular shrub. Nestled in the branches was a nicely built nest containing three eggs. I scolded, “Get out of there; you’re not going to eat any eggs today.”
So who’s the owner? Who’s raising a family in our backyard? Who’s got the great nest building skills? I looked around and didn’t see any likely parents. A little later I spotted an orange beak poking out just over the edge of the next. It was a female cardinal. When I went over to take a closer look, she flew to the fence and scolded me for intruding. Then I caught the red of Mr. Cardinal in a spruce tree in the neighboring yard. “I’ll be out of there in a minute. I just want to get a picture.”
I’ve noticed this couple of cardinals frequenting my yard for the last two weeks, but didn’t think much of it. I’ve heard lots of cardinals singing on my early morning walks, too, but rarely saw them. Apparently they moved a week or two ago.
The next is exquisite. It’s built with Spanish moss, pine needles, and dried up lily leaves. It’s light, but strong. It’s hidden, but accessible. It’s held together by design rather than adhesive.
I don’t remember ever seeing a nest in our yard. My neighbor across the street has a frequently occupied bluebird house. I’ve also seen osprey nests perched high on the field lights at the sports complex up the street. A lot of wooded lots have been cleared for new construction, so I’ll bet the birds have had to vacate some of their favorite nesting spots.
I’ll do my best to keep my curious beasts out of the bushes for a week or two. It’ll be their job to keep the squirrels out of the yard who would love to get into those eggs. I would love to see baby cardinals!
Waite for it... 