Baby Cardinals in tomato plt

[peebee]

Awwwww, I do hope they make it!! I've had birds make nests in my urban garden only a few times over the years, none made it to the birth stage. I've never ever seen a baby bird up close. I think the word is out that my yard is not a safe haven; too many predators. Good luck to those sweet Cardinals!

[gdaddybill]

I'm always so nervous, first thing in the morning to check on the babies, but they're looking good as of 8 7 16.

[dmforcier]

This pic is only a day after the last one? They look much more mature -- in just a day! I bet mom and dad are keeping them well stuffed.

Thanks for posting these.

[swellcat]

I bet mom and dad are keeping them well stuffed.

Hornworm tartare.

[MissS]

Originally Posted by dmforcier

This pic is only a day after the last one? They look much more mature -- in just a day! I bet mom and dad are keeping them well stuffed.

Thanks for posting these.

Once those pin feathers break their sheath, the feathers are all there in their glory.

[Hellmanns]

Originally Posted by dmforcier

This pic is only a day after the last one? They look much more mature -- in just a day! I bet mom and dad are keeping them well stuffed.

Thanks for posting these.

You would not believe how fast the process is this time of year!

My brother and me have been remodeling a house since spring. The house has a tall front porch, with a swallow nest on the porch beam. The parent swallows raised one brood earlier this summer. The little birds fledged pretty fast. We watched the whole process from fuzzy heads, to gone in a about two weeks. A few weeks ago we noticed that they were back raising another brood in the same nest. This time of year with the peak of insect populations, they were gone in probably half that time!

[gdaddybill]

The babies look good this morning. I have a fake owl that I move around to different t-posts and put it near the nest this morning, then decided it might be too close, so I moved it over by the entrance. I'll watch to see if the parents are coming to the nest.

[gdaddybill]

Just checked to see if Mom was coming back with food and one of the babies was perched on a crosswire of the tomato cage. The nest is getting crowded but I have to presume they may be on the verge of leaving the nest.

[Salsacharley]

I had a baby robin fledge in my tomato patch this year and it was quite a bit bigger than these chicks. It had a spotted breast. The only way I knew it was a robin was because one of the parents was giving me fits so I left the area. Yours look like they need quite a bit more time and development before they fledge completely.

[gdaddybill]

It's about 2 pm Central time and I just checked on the nest. They're all gone and no sign of feathers or trauma. Hope to see them at the sunflower seed feeder!

Bill

[ddsack]

??????
They sure looked too young to be able to lift off! Hope they have just relocated to somewhere else in the shrubbery. Keep a look out for the parents still bringing food to them if the young are alive and in the area. You'd think they'd want to stay near your feeder for a while.

[gorbelly]

Originally Posted by ddsack

??????
They sure looked too young to be able to lift off! Hope they have just relocated to somewhere else in the shrubbery. Keep a look out for the parents still bringing food to them if the young are alive and in the area. You'd think they'd want to stay near your feeder for a while.

They leave the nest before they can actually fly. They're pretty well camouflaged. I bet any surviving chicks are around somewhere in nearby shrubbery or tall weeds. The parents will continue to feed them, so they can be located through observing the parents.

[gdaddybill]

Good to know. I'll check around the garden but don't want to disturb them. They've seen me so much with a camera I wouldn't be surprised if one landed on my shoulder when I'm in the garden taking pictures.