Friday Foto is almost over for the week but I'm getting mine in! We're still on beach time so my blogging is a little slack!
This sweet little nest is in a tree right outside our back door. The mommy cardinal sits on the nest until I come out to check on my garden but she's never far away. This is the best picture I could get without disturbing her too much. There are three eggs in the nest. Counting the days until we have babies!
edited to add: Okay, now I'm thoroughly confused. Mr Starfish and I see the female cardinal sitting in the nest, the male cardinal lingering around and the blue eggs. A quick Google search shows that cardinal eggs are white with brown speckles. What gives? Any birders out there?
Comments (5)
Awww...can't wait to see pictures of the babies.
We had a nest this spring, but Mom didn't take very good care and a snake had a very good dinner for four nights. :-(
Posted by Dee | July 10, 2009 10:14 PM
Posted on July 10, 2009 22:14
I found the below on this site:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cottage/con051038404743.html
RE: Cardinal behavior
* Posted by little_dani 9, S. Tex Coast (My Page) on
Sun, May 17, 09 at 23:42
I purchased a nice big bag of sunflower seeds today, to put out for my birds.
I took the white eggs out of the next. Unfortunately, by the time we did it, there is only one speckled egg and two very pale BLUE eggs. Two of the speckled eggs were gone, and we didn't find any sign of them. I am hoping Lady Cardinal will come back and lay some more. Do you think the blue eggs are from a Jay?
Janie
o
RE: Cardinal behavior
clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings
PrintPage
* Posted by pattioh z5MA (My Page) on
Mon, May 18, 09 at 9:16
Janie you have quite the mystery going on there!
I think bluejay is a good guess for several reasons:
1. They aren't fussy about nesting sites, so they wouldn't object to a hanging basket.
2. They will use the nests of other birds
3. They will eat eggs of other birds
4. Their eggs are a shade of blue
The cardinal couple may build another nest nearby, especially if they discover you are providing one of their favorite foods (what type of feeder are you using? They prefer to eat on a flat surface like a tray (or the ground), not on the perch-style feeders). They have a couple broods a year I think. They love safflower seeds too, which are more $$$ but the squirrels hate them, so if squirrels are a problem, spending more on safflower seeds might make sense (unless you have chipmunks, who love safflower! LOL!)
There must be lots of egg ID sites out there, but I'm including a link to one I've used (I didn't see a bluejay egg at first glance, but it might be there someplace).
Patti
Sound right?
Posted by carpoolknitter | July 10, 2009 11:11 PM
Posted on July 10, 2009 23:11
http://www.sialis.org/nests.htm
is the link that poster recommended
Posted by carpoolknitter | July 10, 2009 11:13 PM
Posted on July 10, 2009 23:13
OK, it's me again. I got intrigued and started googling "blue eggs" and the only eggs these resemble are robin's eggs. Why would a cardinal pair be raising robin's eggs? It's a mystery.
Posted by carpoolknitter | July 10, 2009 11:28 PM
Posted on July 10, 2009 23:28
really vibrant shot!
Posted by grace | July 11, 2009 10:20 AM
Posted on July 11, 2009 10:20