Baby Cardinals in tomato plt

gdaddybill · August 2, 2016

I swear these babies are twice as big as yesterday. Hope they survive the feral cats and snakes.

swellcat · August 2, 2016

Excellent.

Given the chance, they will grow up and murder the hell out of a hornworm, too.

swellcat · August 2, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by swellcat

Excellent.

Given the chance, they will grow up and murder the hell out of a hornworm, too.

Cardinal savaging hornworms in an ají amarillo (Capsicum baccatum) plant

(Not nearly the photo as Bill's, but what a sight.)

Hellmanns · August 2, 2016

My high tunnel tomatoes have several nests each year.

AlittleSalt · August 2, 2016

Very nice close-up picture.

We have a lot of Cardinals here between DFW and Waco too.

NarnianGarden · August 2, 2016

Would they snack on tomatoes as well?
Pictures are lovely.
.. This is the first year we have seen birds stealing our tomatoes and pecking them...

gdaddybill · August 2, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by NarnianGarden

Would they snack on tomatoes as well?
Pictures are lovely.
.. This is the first year we have seen birds stealing our tomatoes and pecking them...

No, but they (cats & snakes) eat a few mice and I leave them alone for that reason. Poisonous snakes like Copperheads and water moccasins I'm not so tolerant of.

Glad you liked the photo. I had a new 50mm 1.8 that I needed to try out.

ddsack · August 2, 2016

Great photo, please send updates as they grow, if you can, without disturbing the family! How high up from the ground did they build the nest?

gdaddybill · August 3, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddsack

Great photo, please send updates as they grow, if you can, without disturbing the family! How high up from the ground did they build the nest?

The nest is about 4 ft up in a Stump of the World plant(in a cattle panel cage). The garden has been taken over by a chance cross squash (Italian Heirloom yellow crookneck x pumpkin and/or zucchini) so there is a lot of sticky squash stems to make the nest less accessible. I'll check it our each day-they looked a bit heat stressed yesterday-I know I was-so I sprinkled the plant with some water.

Scooty · August 2, 2016

Cardinals, next to Grosbeaks, are probably the most vicious and cantankerous of all songbirds I've ever had the misfortune to meet. Give me a hummingbird any day of the week.

MissS · August 3, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scooty

Cardinals, next to Grosbeaks, are probably the most vicious and cantankerous of all songbirds I've ever had the misfortune to meet. Give me a hummingbird any day of the week.

Do you really think that hummingbirds are sweet little things??? I have been studying and gardening for them for 30+ years and I find them to be the most aggressive birds that I have ever seen. They are always battling and fighting each other, sometimes even unto the death. I have WARS here during August and September. Cardinals are very peaceful compared to a hummingbird.

Scooty · August 3, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissS

Do you really think that hummingbirds are sweet little things??? I have been studying and gardening for them for 30+ years and I find them to be the most aggressive birds that I have ever seen. They are always battling and fighting each other, sometimes even unto the death. I have WARS here during August and September. Cardinals are very peaceful compared to a hummingbird.

Hummingbirds don't try to turn your hands into hamburger.

Towards humans, they are probably one of the most docile birds.

MissS · August 3, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scooty

Hummingbirds don't try to turn your hands into hamburger.

Towards humans, they are probably one of the most docile birds.

Well, birds were not made to be held in hand. If you stopped catching them, they would leave you be....

Scooty · August 3, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissS

Well, birds were not made to be held in hand. If you stopped catching them, they would leave you be....

Very true. Conservation work is not for the weary.

What's interesting is that this behavior is almost completely unique to cardinals and grosbeaks. Other birds aren't meant to interact with humans that close either, but they don't fuss much if at all. Even owls and hawks aren't so ornery, and those two can do some real damage if they wanted to.

kchd.. · August 2, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by swellcat

Excellent.

Given the chance, they will grow up and murder the hell out of a hornworm, too.

My cardinals do the same thing. They're so helpful! Lol

Scooty, are you banding that cuticle biter?

August 2, 2016	#8
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	Great photo, please send updates as they grow, if you can, without disturbing the family! How high up from the ground did they build the nest? __________________ Dee **************

August 2, 2016	#2
swellcat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Cowtown, Texas – 7B/8A Posts: 192	Excellent. Given the chance, they will grow up and murder the hell out of a hornworm, too.

August 2, 2016	#4
Hellmanns Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: kentucky Posts: 1,116	My high tunnel tomatoes have several nests each year.

August 2, 2016	#5
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Very nice close-up picture. We have a lot of Cardinals here between DFW and Waco too.

August 2, 2016	#6
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	Would they snack on tomatoes as well? Pictures are lovely. .. This is the first year we have seen birds stealing our tomatoes and pecking them...