Northern Cardinal Festival

Just a few more. These were taken at my Mother-in-laws garden in Baltimore where I do maintain a seed feeder.

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Oh Dave, these are great.

I did not know that Cardinals would eat mealworms! I have to place an order.

Now, tell us why you don't have seed feeders anymore? House Sparrows?

No, not the house sparrows. They know I have meal worms. It's the starlings and cowbirds that give me problems. Both stay on the feeder until it is cleaned out. Won't let any other birds on it. Had to stop the suet too for the same reason. Only birds I feed (except for the BB's) are the goldfinch. Sometimes the house sparrows will go after that so I have to get out the feeder where they have to feed upside down. The HOSP don't seem to be willing or able to do that.

I would buy a ton of the cheap seed and feed the starlings and cowbirds but if I did, they would nest in the trees behind the house and stay around all year and worst of all, bother the BB's when they are nesting. I dealt with that one summer and don't want to do it again.

The cardinals come for the meal worms when they are nesting. (I suspect they would resort to 'most anything when those young'ens are clamoring for more.) As you know, so too do the titmice, the chickadees, the Carolina wrens, the song sparrows and the downy and the red-bellied WP. It costs a mint to feed all these characters but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Right now I am starting to ration the mealies since my supplier is closed for the holidays and won't ship again until Monday, which means I've got to make what I have last until next Wednesday.

Ah, interesting.

I recommend this feeder for the goldfinch (Pelle found it). It's the metal one that the squirrels won't chew up (like the plastic version). I had another nice looking one, but the holes were spaced in such a way that the house sparrows could reach UP to get the seed. I HAVE seen the house sparrows attempt an upside down move, but it is short lived. they might get one seed.

http://www.backyardbirdsdiscoverycenter.com/proddetail.php?prod=PP-398

Hey Dave nice shots. How close are able to get to the Cardinals? They won't let me get near them at all. Well I don't see them around my house anymore now but I know they'll be back in the spring because they were all over my backyard this past spring.

For now I have to go to the nature parks to get pictures.

Take care

Hi Al

In the snow and some other such situations, where they are nearly desperate for food or water, or think they are, or when they are scrounging for food for their nestlings, they will take chances and come pretty close, as long as you don't move. In those "desperate" situations I have seen them stand and fight for a place at the feeder but ordinarily, they are skiddish and very easily spooked.

The two in the snow I was about 10 to 12 feet. The one with the dark background, a little closer. I was focused on a titmouse and the cardinal flew in, not seeing me. I got off half a dozen decent shots of him before he flew.

The two on the shepherd's hook were taken at my mother-in-law's, who's at a retirement facility in Baltimore. She likes birds so I keep a big seed feeder full for her. She gets mostly house sparrows and it pains me to feed them but she's elderly and it's her place and I try to rationalize my actions with the fact that Baltimore is already overrun with HOSP and anyway, it is 107 miles away from my bluebirds. She has five or six pairs of cardinals and a couple pair of titmice and chickadees that come on a regular basis when it isn't too crowded. I also put out suet cakes and she gets downys and red-bellies too.

I just realized I hadn't included a female. Here's one.

Dave

My experience with the cardinals is that they show up really early and really late - often before it's light out. I can hear them, but often can't see them. They will zoom in and out at other times for quick snacks. I really enjoy this thread. 30 cardinals nanny! Wow. That's a mother lode. Lucky you.

Here's another picture of my cardinal. Posing in a flowering bush.

This guy brightened up my Christmas arrangement. I love the Northern Cardinals, too. I am lucky to get a bunch of them year round.

JulieQ - you could use that picture as a christmas card.

Frightfully bad hair day!

LOL

crazybirdlady51, thank you so much for that picture. Bad hair day! LOL Best laugh I've had all day. :)

I've never seen one with SUCH a frightfully bad hair day!