Baby Cardinal

The other day Bill and I were outside looking at the gardens and cursing whatever creature had the nerve to chomp two baby tomato plants.  Well, Bill was doing the cursing.  I was sipping my coffee like a civilized person and listening to all the different birds chirping in the surrounding trees.

And then I saw a flash of red go by me and into the overgrown hedge that leans into our yard from our neighbor's yard.  I heard movement in there - a busy fluttery sound - and as I stared at the branches, I figured out what was going on.

The flash of red was a father cardinal, and he had brought a snack to the baby cardinal that was hiding amid the branches.

A baby cardinal!  I've never seen one (outside of a book).  I edged away slowly and then ran across they yard toward the house.  Had to get my camera.  (I didn't run with the coffee - I left that next to the garden.)

I ran back and then stopped and crept around to where I'd been standing before.  The baby was still there.

He was, however, a bit camera shy, so I only got a couple of shots before he skittered up into higher branches, jumping and flapping his little wings as he went. 

But anyway, here's what I got:

 

See that little smudge of brown (yeah - amid all the brown branches) in the middle upper third of the picture?  No?  Well maybe this is a better shot...

 

Can you see him?  He's looking at the camera, and you can see the yellow line of his beak.

Here, I'll mess around with the photo a bit...

 

See him?  (or her, of course)  You can even see the beginnings of a crest on top of his little head.

 

Sigh.

Anyway, I snapped one more picture after this one, but he was already turning to leave at that point and there's not much to see.  After that - he was gone.

But still.  I'm so happy I got to see this little guy!

I love spring.

Comments

[T]

How cool! I've never seen a baby cardinal either (they nest to high up around here)!

picturethis-tlh.blogspot.com

[Terry]

I love Cardinals and that baby is so cute...but I am about sick of birds this year. Between the wrens on the front door, the killdeer in the driveway and all the baby ducks and geese...I am glad mating season is almost over. Oh yes...I forgot the two nests in our gutters out back.

Anyway...you got a really cute picture. Terry

[jomamma]

So what ate the tomato plants... mine are gone too. Nice picture of the cardinal, we had baby bird sightings too.

[Jayne]

We think it's either squirrels or cutworms.  And it's not like they even ate the whole (very small) plant - it was just chomped across the stem and abandoned nearby.  Annoying little critters.