nesting

Cardinal Hatching Egg

/ Jodi / 27 Comments

cardinal nest sitting on eggs

Remember our new neighbor I introduced you to last week?

Well Mama Cardinal finished shaking her tail feathers and building her nest, and is now growing her family!

Check out this little video that I cannot believe we captured:

And look what is in the nest now!

Houston – We have Eggs.  Cardinal Eggs.

And an Early Bird Bird’s Eye View from our bedroom window.  Can you believe it?!

cardinal eggs 2

So it looks like our sweet new neighbor’s family is growing…

And I hope to keep you updated.  Can you imagine how wonderful it would be to capture some video or photos of the little hatched baby cardinals as they fledge?!

Oh the anticipation!  Stay tuned.

And speaking of birds, I must share with you a beautifully-created artistic piece by one of my blogger friends, Jill from Jill’s Art Journal.

Jill and some others have made a pact and commitment to draw/create/paint and then post a new bird every day for a year.

And WOW, you wouldn’t believe how fun and exciting she makes it!

I fell instantly and totally in love with one of her drawings – a whimsical bird named Curly.

And  I shamelessly begged to have it.

Jill was so very kind to oblige and send her to me!  So all the way from the other side of the U.S. from Spokane, WA, Curly arrived this weekend in her full glory!  Could you just die how cute she is?!?!  Somehow, I feel she is a portrait of me.  🙂   Don’t ask me why?!

jill kuhn curly

And not only did Jill send me the adorable Curly, but she put a sweet note in the package and added this beautiful handmade bookmark that featured a bird on one side….

jill kuhn bookmark 2

… and a “Home Sweet Home” sentiment on the other side that Jill said she thought was just perfect for me!  How sweet is that?!?!

Thank you so much, Jill!  I am beyond thrilled and grateful.

And peeps, I so encourage you to check out her blog:  Jill’s Art Journal.  You will so enjoy her daily postings and her wildly creative talent!

jill kuhn bookmark 1

So I’ll be on cardinal nest watch “in between” everything else going on around here.

Hope you are having as much fun…. at life in between.  🙂

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

The New Neighbors Building a House Next Door

/ Jodi / 32 Comments
female cardinal nest

Please click to enlarge photo

Momma Cardinal has been working for days right outside of our bedroom window in the rhododendron bush building this beautiful new home.

It is sure to add value to the neighborhood!  Don’t you think?

I have never been more fascinated watching such diligence and perseverance as she flies in one tiny stick at a time, places it on the pile, then shakes her tail feathers to form the “cup” shape.

The new home has been under construction for about three days now.  I cannot believe our good fortune to have such a view of this little miracle of nature.  I can’t wait to see the eggs and then baby cardinals!  Can you imagine how awesome that will be to watch!?!

According to Wikipedia, cardinals mate for life and stay together year-round.  Isn’t that romantic?!  Mated pairs sometimes sing together before nesting. During courtship they may also participate in a bonding behavior where the male collects food and brings it to the female, feeding her beak-to-beak.  If the mating is successful, this mate-feeding may continue throughout the period of incubation.

The nest typically takes three to nine days to build, and cardinals do not usually use their nests more than once. The eggs are laid one to six days following the completion of the nest. Three or four eggs are laid in each clutch.  The female generally incubates the eggs, which takes 12 to 13 days.  And then, the young cardinals fledge 10 to 11 days after hatching.

Camera and tripod are set up, and I’ve taken about 50 kabillion photos already.

I love this one of her shakin’ her little tail feathers and looking at me while she prepares to nest.

Hope to share more soon.

Happy Friday Early Birds!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi