Florence, the male cardinal should be close by on the lookout. Here is an article on their nest building habits.

Juliet

Nesting Habits - Where They Live
The female builds the nest while the male keeps a close eye on her and the surrounding territory for predators and other males. The female will be the only one incubating the eggs.

The males duty during this time is to feed her on the nest and protect their territory from intruders.

Once the young hatch, both will feed them. Two broods each season are attempted. cardinal feeding young The nest is made up of twigs, bark strips, vines leaves, rootlets, paper, and lined with vines, grass and hair.

You can find the nest placed in dense shrubbery or among branches of small trees. Generally 1-15 feet above ground.

Laying 2-5 eggs that are buff-white with dark marks. The female incubates the eggs for 12- 13 days and the young leave the nest in 9-11 days after hatching.
Feeding Habits - What Cardinals Eat
The adults food consist of insects, spiders, wild fruits, berries, and weed seeds. Preferring to perch while feeding at bird feeders, the ideal cardinal bird feeder is the hopper style filled with black-oil sunflower seed.

Northern Cardinals tend to be territorial in their feeding habits. The bird watcher may wish to place their bird feeders in both the front and back yards, using the house as a visual barrier between territories. Northern Cardinals are permanent resident throughtout it's range.

After fledging, the young will continue to harass their parents with feed-me behavior, which seems to make the female anxious or agitated. In the prelude to mating, she directs the same kind of behavior to the male.

It's amazing to watch the male work with the babies. He helps them learn to find seeds and other food. I think they must return to the nest with the parents for quite some time.

I've seen the males feed the females. It seems so romantic. I also love the cardinal babies. We call them 'molties' because they molt all their feathers and turn all different colors between the red and the olive.

Florence, I've raised two broods this year. Well not me but you know what I mean. One nest was in early spring in Fellemberg and another later in Blush Noisette. The female did most of the work building the nest but the male did help with the feeding. While the female was sitting on the eggs the male was nearby keeping guard. I do love the birds in the garden!

We have a female building in our Wisteria just today! I saw a pair of them on the fence quite a lot last week and finally today I guess they decided. He's around....make no mistake...it's sooo romantic!!! Enjoy!!!

It is so funny to watch the "baby" birds that are as big as their parents. They hop around behind their parents,flap their wings and shake their bodies and chirp loudly in an instinctual behavior that elicits a feeding response. I feel sure the parents are thinking the same thing that humans think when adult children return to the nest after fledging. "I'm tired! Go find your own way like I did when I was your age!" Tee hee!

Yeah...wonder if they hang around for grandkids????

The mommie is on the nest---Our cardinals usually make nests in the nice thick blue Spruce but this year they are right outside the window in the Rambler Albertine.

this will be fun---we have a ringside seat for the action.

We have several birdhouses around the yard and they are usually occupied .

Nature sure is fun--

Florence

Sad news about our Cardinal family---We've been watching the parents working hard to feed the babies and they were growing very well--However last night something raided the nest and they are all gone---We are very sad----
We were hoping to see them leave the nest----they were not quite full grown.

Florence

:-(

Ouch!

They will try again - perhaps this year, but if not this year, then next.

One of the sometimes very difficult aspects of being interested in the natural world around us is the reminder that despite our own fondness for some of its members, that fondness does not preclude those species from being a part of the natural food chain.

I feel sure the parents are thinking the same thing that humans think when adult children return to the nest after fledging. "I'm tired! Go find your own way like I did when I was your age!"

I've often thought this myself when watching (or unavoidably listening to) an insistent juvenile starling or American robin pestering its parent to feed it yet again. :-)

I'm sorry, Florence. Mr. Cardinal sends his condolences. Gean

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Gean--thank you for that lovely picture----The Cardinals are such a lovely splash of color in the garden---especially against a snowy backdrop.

These little babies were still too little to leave the nest-

Thanks for all your concern.

Florence

A few years ago the cardinals built a nest in the window box underneath our air conditioner--we could hear the little birds inside the house.

I got to see the babies leave the nest--they hopped out and made a run for the understory at the edges of our yard.