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Fashionplate Dan Bedore's Cardinal's Nest

June 11 - 28, 2006

A Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) built a nest right next to my garage door. The nest was just above head height, and right next to paths to the front door, to the back yard, and into the garage. I probably walked within a few feet of the nest several, on weekends dozens, of times each day, so it seemed like a strange location to me, but I guess she liked it. I first noticed it Sunday, June 11, 2006. I realized that often, when passing that bush, the bird flew away. I got curious, and saw the nest right away. It had 3 light blue subelliptical / oval eggs with brown speckles.
Cardinal's nest in tree Branch
Wednesday, June 14th
The nest was just above head high, and right outside my garage door.
3 blue speckled eggs in the nest.
Wednesday, June 14th A 3-4 egg clutch is typical for cardinalids. Sometimes as I walked by I saw the parents incubating.
Birds about 1 day old.
Monday, June 19th, 7:30 PM Sometime within the previous 33 hours the eggs had hatched. The altricial hatchlings barely moved. Ten minutes before this photo, I saw a male Northern Cardinal (C. Cardinalis) perching within a couple of feet of the nest.
Birds about 1 1/2 days old.
Tuesday, June 20th, 7:30 AM
Birds about 2 days old.
Tuesday, June 20th, 7:00 PM The nestlings look hungry.
Birds about 2 1/2 days old.
Wednesday, June 21th, 7:40 AM
Birds about 3 days old.
Wednesday, June 21th, 7:00 PM It's interesting to see the wing feathers develop (fledge) in the following shots.
Birds about 3 1/2 days old.
Thursday, June 22th, 7:50 AM
Birds about 4 days old.
Thursday, June 22th, 7:00 PM
Birds about 4 1/2 days old.
Friday, June 23rd, 7:00 AM
Birds about 5 1/2 days old.
Saturday, June 24th, 7:00 AM I saw a female cardinal fly away as I was walking out to take the photo.
Birds about 6 days old.
Saturday, June 24th, 6:00 PM In this side view, the chicks now could peer over the side of the nest.
Birds about 6 days old.
Saturday, June 24th, 6:00 PM It looked like they about filled the nest up.
Birds about 7 days old.
Sunday, June 25th, 4:00 PM
Birds about 8 days old.
Monday, June 26th, 7:00 AM
Birds about 8 1/2 days old.
Monday, June 26th, 7:00 PM
Birds about 9 days old.
Tuesday, June 27th, 8:00 AM
Birds about 9 1/2 days old.
Tuesday, June 27th, 8:00 PM
Birds about 10 days old.
Wednesday, June 28th, 7:00 AM
The birds have left the nest at about 10 1/2 days old. The nest is quite tidy: no debris or dirt is left.
Wednesday, June 28th, 7:00 PM The fledglings left the nest at about 10 1/2 days old. The empty nest was quite tidy: no debris or dirt was left. I looked, but didn't see a mom and kids group looking for food in the following days.

For several weeks I saw no juvenile cardinals around, but then three started showing up at my bird feeder, and continued into the autumn months.
Adult Male landing on my Marietta Feeder. Adult Male on my Marietta Feeder. Adult Male on my Marietta Feeder.

Cornell Cardinal Page

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