The
juvenile cardinals are being endlessly entertaining. They are so
timid and unsure. There are two males and at least one female. They
have been sitting in the shrub next to the tea cup bird feeder for
several weeks watching all the chickadees and the titmice and the
adult cardinals come and go and they will look and sort of move
around and almost get up the courage to flit to the teacup and then
they will startle and fly away.
Finally,
they have all managed to screw up their courage and come to the cup.
But I have to be completely still even though I talk to them. The
two males have not got their complete color in yet nor their red
beaks and are looking a little mangy being all spotty red and brown.
And both of them have met with something that left them fewer tail
feathers. One is missing the tail feathers in the middle. He comes
to the cup and he looks directly at me through the window trying to
decide if I am a threat or not. The other male has most of his color
but his tail feathers are missing or mangled on one side.
All
three of them are very shy.
The pictures aren't great since I was having to be very sneaky and was using the zoom and the camera kept wanting to focus on the foliage.
They're delightful. I truly miss the cardinals. They were all around my last place but there's not a single one spotted around here. Their young are among the most precious to watch. They all look like they have a bad case of bed head. Sweet, little innocents. Great captures, Ellen.
ReplyDeleteNice captures.
ReplyDeleteEven after two winters of endless bird feed, my cardinals scatter. I'm thinking of setting up a separate station for them, which will be private only in my dreams.
Yes, the young'uns are so cute in their awkwardness.
ReplyDeletepoor, nervous teens! that's kinda rare these days. ;)
ReplyDeleteThat last shot worked realty well! Young cardinals always look so bedraggled. Funny how they grow up to be so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteVery nice, I have had a couple families. I throw seed on the ground some late afternoons since that is when they come and eat.
ReplyDeleteSweet birds.
ReplyDeleteLove those scruffy youngsters. I miss cardinals and don't get why they don't try living in the Pacific Northwest. We have seeds, trees for nesting, and a mild climate. Maybe they don't like the mild climate.
ReplyDeleteAw!
ReplyDelete