I have never been much of a bird watcher. But I have recently discovered a beautiful cardinal that has built a nest in the bush in my front yard. At last count, her nest had three little tiny brown and white speckled eggs. We have a perfect view of her little home from our front window. We watch her often. At first, I worried that we would scare her away, but I think I underestimated her dedication to the little baby birds growing inside those tiny eggs. When we walk right past her bush to get to the car, she may flutter up to the branches of a higher tree, but she will not venture far. She always stays close by, watching, making these little noises of warning until we have passed by and she may safely return to her future offspring. My children are totally captivated with this magical window in to mother nature. They are delighted that, barring any unfortunate disasters of nature, we will see little baby cardinals before too long. According to my research, incubation takes 11 - 13 days, during which the male cardinal brings her food, so she doesn't have to leave the nest. (Hmmm.. Is there a lesson in that?) I'll keep you posted on any progress.
