I've posted about the cardinals nesting on our front porch. They hatched about 12- 13 days ago, and were three yesterday early evening when I left for about an hour. When I returned, I checked on them, and to my surprise there was a *large* bird sitting on the edge of the nest, gray in color, a different beak from the cardinals. I thought it was some adult bird that was intending to nest and lay eggs. This morning, I checked again. There the bird was, but it was deep in the nest with just its head up and looked like a nestling again. THEN I saw the male cardinal feeding it...and I realized...omg...had the nest been parasitized by cowbirds and that's what the cardinals were caring for the entire time? I noticed them right after our robin's nest eggs were destroyed. The male is *still* out there on our porch, trying to coax the bird out of the nest (the other two are gone and the female cardinal is still coming around). This bird is just as big as the adult cardinals. I have images, and after reading about the cowbirds, I'm thinking all three nestlings were cowbirds and the cardinal's eggs had been destroyed. I have images and sure could use some help. There are brown-headed cowbirds around, so...sigh. I've never posted images here and have to learn how to, and some are a bit blurred because I was on a small stool. But, this poor male cardinal is coming back and feeding this bird that looks very mature, and it will not leave the nest when the parent cardinals are there. However, I have a picture of it sitting on the edge of the nest from above and you can see just how long it's tail is and how well-developed it is. I don't know what to do. The cardinal's other nest is going to get parasitized if this bird doesn't leave. Poor adult birds.

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