My dh has planted lots of strawberries this spring including a hanging system that's supposed to produce all summer. Imagine our surprise when we found cardinals nesting in the top of the hanging strawberries. May have an issue watering the berries until those babies are raised!
I fear you may have to give up on watering them - even if you could soak water up from below (by holding a bowl of water under the basket), that would still risk chilling the eggs / chicks.
More than likely though, a nest in such an exposed position is likely to fail due to being found by a predator (jays, squirrels, etc, etc).
Resin
At least yours chose something that slightly resembles a nest, I have birds nesting in the following:
The top of the basketball hoop, one in the hose holder, and now in the CD changer in the garage.
Why aren't they using the trees????
How fun! Last summer a pair of house finches raised two broods in the two hanging flower baskets I had under my front porch eaves--one in each basket. Watering those baskets was a real tricky situation; luckily, I could "hide" beneath the foliage while I carefully tipped a single-spout watering can (the kind you use with houseplants) into a far side of the basket. The mom usually flew off to scold me, but the babies never noticed. Unfortunately, my husband took over watering duties just before one brood fledged and spooked the babies from the nest (he poked his whole head over the basket when he watered). But the other batch fledged successfully, flying right into our neighbor's birch trees. (yay!)
If your basket is pretty small and you couldn't "water by stealth" (as your photo indicates), you may need to stop watering ... but fledging some baby cardinals would be so worth it! (To me at least.) :-) Good luck!
Birds are goofy alright. We had a robin one year trying to build it's nest on a 2" ledge so the next year I put up a platform and where do they nest? in a tree 20' up and at the end of the branch - it failed.
bigcityal, LOL! They never quite seem to nest where you want them to!!
Sugarfoot, thats so neat that you have a cardnal nest in the basket!
I put a box up on one of the oak trees and a pair of starlings worked really hard making a nest in it, As they kept building during the day, Squirrels (two) would go in it to sleep at night, This went on for a while, Now that the nest is nice and full and comfy, The squirrels totally took it over!! They are so neat to watch though! They usually sleep on there backs with there little paws in the air, Or with there tails covering them like a blanket! They also make funny little sounds while they are sleeping, So cute!
Well she must've thought it was safe...Actually it isn't uncommon for birds to nest in such places. My neighbor had Doves return to their hanging basket on their back covered deck. You could see right down into the nest, (if you're real tall)...lol. She wasn't afraid, and would let you see the babies. Cardinals can be as trusting as the next bird when they are familiar with the surroundings.
And don't discount the emergency ovation a young female might have come upon her, put to snatch the first pace as fast possible...ie, elevator and taxi babies.
I love it sugarfoot..what a sweet little nest spot. Especially if you are able to see the babies.
Deb
As much as I like strawberries, I'd rather have the cardinals. How cute !
You can buy strawberries at a grocery store
You can't buy the experience of seeing them hatch and fledge first hand.
What's the problem?
No problem for me...although I'm pretty sure dh is going to want both the strawberries and the birds. I was wondering if a gentle sprinkle from the hose would work. I mean it does rain in the wild after all. We have a wren house about 3 feet away from the strawberries that always has a nest going. Have to be careful not to leave the back door open or they fly in and it can be quite a production to get them back out. It's so much fun to watch them though. I love their little tails.
LOL sugarfoot - I had a wren in the house last week - still not sure how it got in. It went ALL over the house, on the picture framed in the dining room, into a laundry basket, up the stairs, into the closets, hopping across my bed, until I finally got it in between a window and screen. I loosened the screen and out it went. They come to my office window a couple of times a week acting like they just want to come on in. They are the ones that have set up a nest in the CD changer in the garage.
My favorite display of theirs is when the male and female are feeding and the male does his turkey impression to keep everyone off of the feeder while she's eating :) I think they are probably my favorites, while DH likes the chickadees best so far.
Attached is Mr. Wren in full song...
Well, I guessed wrong about DH and the strawberries. That Lady Cardinal is STILL sitting on the nest. The strawberries are long gone. She has been sitting on 4 eggs- laid one a few days before the other three- one has hatched. We have been so worried because we thought it took less time for an egg to hatch and that she was sitting on duds but looks like we were wrong. She has been very patient with us. We can be quite near without her flying away. We haven't seen much of the Lord of the nest but maybe he'll be around more now that there's another mouth to feed.
Thats great sugar!
Congrats sugarfoot :) Hope you can get some pics of the babies.
I'm glad I read this thread to the end and happy to hear everything worked out.
We usually have house finches nesting in one of the hanging baskets outside so I wasn't surprised to see a pair hopping around recently. Come to find out they are just raiding the pot's fiber liner for nesting material, little stinkers. We'll miss seeing babies this year.
So glad I found this thread -- I've been sick with worry: Yesterday, for the first time, I noticed Mama and Papa Cardinal on a fan/light on my patio. I also noticed straw sticking out above the cup-shaped light shades. Nests, I suppose. Unfortunately, I hear no baby-chirps and Mama Cardinal is not sitting on eggs. Now I fear I accidentally killed the babies when I turned the lights on during an evening pool party. I'm afraid of what I may find if I take a look. What do you who know more than I think? Thanks.
Well I don't know that I know more than you...lol, but you could at least check up there and see if there are eggs or babies or if they are just beginning the process, so that you know to mark it off limits if it is truly in progress.
