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Female Cardinal All Plumped Up

12 years ago

The temperature today in Southern Ontario felt like -35C with the wind chill. I don't know how these poor creatures survive, they are tough little things. This little girl plumped herself up so much it looked like she had swallowed a grapefruit. Took this pic from my living room window (I wasn't about to go outside at all today!)

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Comments (10)

surya55_gw
12 years ago
LOL- that sure is the plumpest cardinal I've ever seen! With this polar vortex, I too wonder how they survive but we're all doing our part to ensure their survival by providing food.
User
Original Author
12 years ago
Yep, I've got a large feeder that is never empty and 2 suet blocks and there's a hubbub of activity all the time. I really need to get a birdbath heater to provide non-frozen water for them. Anyone out there have one of those and are they reliable?
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When we moved here to our country home (converted barn) it was a couple of weeks before Christmas. That first Christmas morning my husband and I woke up to snow, beautiful fluffy sparkly snow. We have 11 pine trees surrounding the barn. Of course the snow covered the pine branches. I looked out the front window , and there sitting on one of the pine branches was a bright red Cardinal. It looked like a Christmas card, all white with some green and red. I wish I would have had a camera ready at the time. It was just so perfect. It gave us that warm fuzzy Christmas feeling. As we sat and drank a cup of Hot Cocoa and a Christmas cookie. I hope we have fresh snow for Christmas this year. patti
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It's a baby cardinal! And it just finally left the artificial ficus while it's parents called to it from a nearby tree! It's little "mohawk" is in, and the colors are that of a baby cardinal and not a cowbird. It just was very reluctant to leave the nest. Yesterday, it began to crawl out further onto the branches of the ficus, chip-chipping and a parent would answer back. The parents have spent so much time with this particular fledgling...I have to wonder about the safety of the other two. They're still out there. The male comes flying out from under our window shrubs when blackbirds are in the front yard and issues his "alert." What a relief...but now, that little chipmunk from next door! I started tossing seed balls into their own shrubbery to keep the chipmunk away and am using live mealworms and safflower. Might have to take down the suet, since the cowheads/blackbirds seem to like it far too much and come into territory where the fledglings are hiding. I read they will fly within 20 days. It's now 14 days since I first noticed the birds were hatched. They could have hatched before I saw them. So when should they begin to fly? I know the parents do stay with them and "train" them.. But that chipmunk! Thank you all for responding to my "cardinal adventure." What a lovely song they sing. : ) ...And I just watched the little guy hop off with both parents very near. I don't hear them now. Just so they're all safe!
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TXSkeeter
12 years ago
A lovely image you've posted.
Steve
docmom_gw
12 years ago
I have a heated bird bath and it's functioned well for many years. Actually, the support stand fell apart while the heating element is still plugging away--pun intended.

Martha
beegood_gw
12 years ago
I have had a heated water dish all winter and it's been down to -38 C and it works great The birds all use it
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
12 years ago
Such a pretty bird! Probably not happy, but definitely pretty. Great picture!

I have a heated birdbath - this is my third, they last about three years for me. I already have the back-up (on sale) for when this one fails. I also refill a few non-heated birdbaths every day, but I don't get really low temperatures like you Canadians so the water usually stays liquid for a little while.

Claire
dakota01
12 years ago
Wow she really is huge! I have been keeping my feeders full since our temps are horrific (PA). I feel so bad for the birds and bunnies. I don't know how they survive these temps. The little wrens take cover on my covered porch and stay under my covered patio table.
The bunnies visit my feeder area at note and enjoy what's on the ground.

I don't have a heated BB but hope to get one next year when I get my small side yard landscaped.
patz_2010
12 years ago
My yard has been very busy the past two days. Carolina wrens were all over the place, cardinals always around, bluejays very hungry today for peanuts, many other birds, and a mocking bird who owns my yard and spends the day going from tree to tree chasing them all but he's out numbered.
herrwabbaloo
12 years ago
I counted 20 sparrows (at least what I think are sparrows) here in South Texas at my feeders two days ago. First time I've seen them here in a LONG time. Normally I just have the Cardinal couple, titmouse, chickadee, and at least 10 lesser finches and 1 house finch. And today, not a sign of them. We had the polar vortex reaching all the way down here too.
Lorna1949
12 years ago
Hi just remember I have seen them eating snow so I don't put out the water in the winter when there is snow on the ground I also have seen the squirrel eat the snow it just cold water

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