Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Baby Cardinal

This puffy brown ball was camped out in the trees next to my garden earlier today:
 

It's a baby Northern Cardinal! A pair of cardinals has been hanging around our yard all spring, and it's so cool to see that they managed to produce this little guy (or girl). This baby must be only just out of the nest, since it's at the perching-but-not-much-else stage. Lots of fluffy down and no tail feathers, but it's got a crest already!
 

The mother cardinal showed up every few minutes with food, and then the baby got really excited, chirping and fluttering and opening its mouth wide (it was the chirps that made me look in this tree in the first place):
 

Oh boy, oh boy, food! Yum yum yum:
 

(Mom!!)


Mmmmm, food:
 

It's hard for me to believe that this weird looking creature will turn into a sleek cardinal someday. Well, we all go through our awkward stages. :) Stay safe and grow big, little one!

2 comments:

  1. Waddayameen, awkward stage? That baby is adorable! Thanks for the photos.

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    1. It's that bald face and those bugging eyes, mostly. :P But you're right, there's a certain cuteness factor, too. :)

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