Christie, I used to keep perennial vines growing on half stock panels over some west porch windows. A pair of Cardinals built in those vines at eye level. I had mylar film on the glass, so they couldn't see me...what a treat to be able to get up close and personal with them. I have shelves in those windows, so I put a video camera on the shelf and just let it run. The best is finding a hummer nest, but it isn't easy to do.

I have looked for hummingbird nest for years and never have found one. One year, I KNEW they were nesting in the cherry tree. No matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find any nests :-(
We have a Mourning Dove nesting in the pine tree up front. And Blue Jay and Robins in the oak tree.
Do bird boxes count? If so, I had baby Chickadee's in our mailbox birdhouse, and bluebird babies are currently in the bluebird box out back. The female has disappeared, but Daddy is feeding the babies.
Soon to have Purple Martin babies, I hope!
I would love to find a Cardinal nest!
Dori

We had purple finches build a nest by the back door up under the eave, but I am afraid they abandoned it when the men who put up the vinyl trim had to work in that corner. I hope they didn't have eggs yet!
We keep watching and hoping.

The blue birds have built in a maple tree again this year. The tree is partly dead and has lots of holes in it. I was going to cut it last year when I spotted the blue birds going in and out of one ofthe holes, so I decided to leave it.Why build a nest when mother nature has done it for me!

Gld

A little wren has nested in my Blaze rose by my front porch. Went out to spray the rose, forgot about the wren and she flew off--startled me. She is back so guess I didn't upset anything. A very small nest for a very small bird---looks cute with just her head peeking out.

Susy

This is the second year in a row that I have bought an annual hanging basket for the front porch and the second year in a row that a bird has seen fit to kill it by building a nest inside the stinking basket. Last year it was a blackeyed susan vine and this year a 21st century phlox. I love birds but, dangit' there's a whole world out there, build somewhere else!!!!!!
Actully the birds really did'nt KILL either one of the backets totally but they damaged the plants so bad that they never did get back to looking very good. Better luck next year I suppose!!

I saw a baby cardinal sitting on a branch yesterday so they're getting ready to leave home soon. When I wrote the first post, on May 13th, they hadn't even hatched yet. They grow up fast don't they! I didn't expect these to make it at all since the nest was so low - less than four feet from the ground. My kids were able to get a close look.

Do cardinals use the same nest for the next clutch? My mother and I jsut noticed the cardinal family living in the holly tree. The baby bird was hopping around the enclosed patio with the worried parents urging it back to the nest. One parent would hop with the baby and urge the baby to go to the other parent. This continued for quite a while until the parents had the baby sitting on an ivy vine in the corner. Apparently baby was hungry and needed a rest before getting back to the holly tree, so we watched mama and daddy feed the baby. At that time we thought they had just one baby, soon enough the other baby decided to leave the holly tree and join the family in the ivy. We tried to put the babies back in the nest, but the nest is too small. The babies are so tiny, too tiny in my opinion to be hopping around the patio. The patio is a very safe place from predators. Mama and Daddy finally put both babies on ivy vines and let them know it was bedtime. This morning I went to check on the babies. One was missing so I went looking since Mama was frantically searching. Mama and Daddy cardinal would never have found the baby because this wild child was in the garage. The garage door is now closed and we look before we step down on the patio as the wild child likes to play around the back door.
We have really enjoyed watching this young family. I say young because both mama and daddy cardinal look to be in perfect health and have enough energy to chase the wild child.
Mama gets really concerned when she cannot find the wild child and starts making a lot of noise, then daddy chimes in and we go to the door and look. Of course, the good child is sitting either in the ivy or the holly depending on where the parents wanted it to go.
Even in the kingdom of birds parents have problems with their offspring.

Thanks Dundee for painting the mental picture for me to enjoy. I can just imagine the Wild Child!! So cute!

Susy

dundee - I don't know whether Cardinals re-use their nests. There's no new eggs in my cardinals' nest so far but I'll check again in a few days. You said the babies looked too tiny to be hopping around on your patio - I thought these looked too small to be ready to leave the nest too. Not nearly as big as a baby robin would be. I noticed one had moved higher into the tree though so I think that's a good sign. I haven't seen them for a few days but I thought I could hear them - I'm not sure.