I don’t know what it is about moving to the country that turns people into nature lovers, but it most definitely happens. When my wife’s parents retired to their farm, the grand kids started teasing them because they had more pictures of their “critters” than they did of any of them. Well, the same thing is now happening to us. We recently “hatched” three baby cardinals on our back porch. The whole process was so exciting to watch that we took about a million pictures to document it. Because of these baby cardinals our kids have started to tease us just like they teased their grandparents 15 years ago.
The cardinal experience started when my wife and I noticed something making a nest in a potted plant on the back porch. We enjoyed watching the progress but we had no idea what was building it. It was truly amazing to watch a few pieces of dry grass begin to twist together to form the most perfect little nest you ever saw.
After about three weeks of watching the nest take shape, we came home one afternoon and found the cutest little brown speckled egg in the nest. Once that first egg arrived we began to pay close attention to the back porch. After the second egg appeared in the nest we finally saw a lovely female cardinal sitting on the nest. The next morning we went out and found the third an final egg.
Once we were certain that we had cardinals, we decided to find out how the rest of this little drama would progress. So, we went to Google and discovered some very interesting cardinal facts. Cardinals typically lay 3 eggs but they can lay anywhere from one to five. The female does all of the incubation and she doesn’t start to sit until she has finished laying. The eggs will hatch in 11 to 13 days after she starts sitting. Once hatched, both the male and female will feed the young. The male gets the extra benefit of defending the territory and carrying off the little poops sacks that the young expel. The baby cardinals are fast growing and they fledge, or leave the nest, 9 to 11 days after hatching.
All of these facts were proven out by our three baby birds. They hatched 11 days after the female starting sitting. The first brave baby left the nest on day 9 and the other two were gone when we came home on day 10. It was so exciting to watch this avian miracle of life unfold right before us. Watching these birds go from egg to first flight in 20 days was truly amazing to me. I guess this is why people that move to the country become nature lovers. In the country you have the opportunity to get close to nature. And, the closer you get, the more and more amazing it is to watch.
Since our kids are tired of seeing the pictures, I hope you don’t mind us sharing these with you. Enjoy!
In Ellis County, the Northern Cardinal is a frequent to plentiful permanent resident. When they congregate in the winter, it becomes evident just how plentiful they are. It is not uncommon to see 40 or more cardinals in one place when food is abundant, though ten birds or less is the more typical flock size.
Nesting begins in mid-April and lasts until late August. Cardinals can lay two or even three clutches of eggs at a time. The female typically constructs the nest in three to nine days and it’s usually found in dense evergreens, tangled vines, shrubby thickets, or privet. Though they can’t fly well until roughly 19 days, the young birds are cared for by both parents and leave the nest in 9 to 11 days. Within 45 days the young cardinals become independent. These birds will resemble the female, having a reddish-brown head, tail, and wings. However, instead of the adult’s orange bill, these birds will have a black or dark bill. The brown-headed cowbird regularly parasitizes cardinals, and it is not unusual to witness adults tending to a young brown bird that is clearly not their own.
Cardinals can be heard singing nonstop in January and late February, when the flocks start to disperse and the birds establish territories. These will be between three and ten acres in size, and they will be announced with song from noticeable vantage points. Unknown to most people is the fact that both male and female cardinals sing. Early in the morning, the male and female will sing a beautiful duet while perched in separate parts of their territory. The male will begin by singing a single phrase, which his partner will then match. Countersinging is what’s meant to be done in this situation to reinforce the pair bond. Another method for resolving territorial conflicts between birds of the same sex is countersinging. Cardinal song varies greatly across the nation; in fact, a mere 200 miles can cause a song’s phrases to occasionally become nearly unrecognizable.
After we were positive that we had cardinals, we made the decision to see how this little drama would play out in the remaining moments. So, we looked up some really fascinating cardinal facts on Google. While they can lay one to five eggs, cardinals usually lay three. The female completes the incubation process and waits to sit until after she has completed laying. Within 11 to 13 days of her starting to sit, the eggs will hatch. After hatching, the female and male will both tend to the young. In addition, the male gets to guard the area and remove the small poop sacks that the young kick out. The young cardinals grow quickly, and nine to eleven days after hatching, they fledge, or leave the nest.
Our three baby birds attested to all of these facts. They hatched 11 days after the female starting sitting. On day 9, the first courageous baby bravely left the nest, and by day 10, when we returned home, the other two had left. Watching this avian miracle of life materialize in front of us was incredibly thrilling. I found it really amazing to watch these birds grow from an egg to their first flight in just 20 days. I suppose this is the reason why individuals who relocate to rural areas develop an affinity for the natural world. You can have the chance to get in close proximity to nature in the country. Furthermore, it becomes even more breathtaking to witness the closer you go.
I hope it’s okay if we share these with you because our kids are sick of looking at the photos. Enjoy!.
My spouse and I first noticed something building a nest in a potted plant on the back porch, which is when the cardinal experience began. We were happy to observe the development, but we had no idea who was responsible for it. Watching a few bits of dry grass start to twist together to create the most adorable little nest you’ve ever seen was really amazing.
I’m not sure what it is about living in the country that makes people fall in love with the outdoors, but it does happen. Upon retirement to their farm, my wife’s parents were teased by their grandchildren because they had more photos of their “critters” than any of them. Well, the same thing is now happening to us. We recently “hatched” three baby cardinals on our back porch. We snapped about a million photos to record the entire process since it was so thrilling to watch. Our children have begun to tease us in the same way that they did their grandparents fifteen years ago, all because of these baby Cardinals.
FAQ
How many times a year will a cardinal lay eggs?
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