Framingham Nature Blog - Northern Cardinals Nesting

A pair of Northern Cardinals decided to nest in a white spruce in our front yard. The nest is about 2 feet away from our living room window. This makes it easy to view the nest without scaring the parents. I also trimmed the branches around it to make it even easier to see. I can so far only see the female sitting on the nest. She only gets up to chase off blue jays or if a person wanders too close to the nest. It is funny to watch the male and female chase off a Blue jay together. If i check on the nest though, chances are shes either in it, or perched on the side of it, checking on her eggs.

On the 25th, it was cold and rainy. The mother cardinal stayed on her eggs the entire day, as they would cool faster with wet conditions. Birds are warm blooded, needing to keep their blood temperature at around 105 degrees Fahrenheit, Bird eggs cannot generate warmth, and therefore will cool down and either have growth problems or just die, without constant incubation by the mother.

I think a blue jay raided the nest, as there is now only 1 chick left. They are now putting the food required to raise a whole brood into 1 chick, who is now strong enough to cry and poke his head up. every once and awhile, the male flies in, feeds the chick, and eats it's shit. I was shocked to see this for the first time, but this makes a great way for the parents to recycle nutrients. The chick holds it's mouth open, and makes itself visible, whenever one of it's parents flies near the tree.

On the 4th, The chick was gone. At it's age, it would not have been able to leave the nest. Sadly, I came to the conclusion that the nest had been raided again by a blue jay, and the chick was dead. Fortunately, there were 2 new eggs where the chick used to be. Only about 40% of Cardinal chicks will ever leave the nest and become an adult. I went outside just to make sure. I instantly found a wet, cold cardinal chick on it's back, lying in the mud. It was raining. I tried to save it by putting it under a lamp and trying to give it worms. About a half an hour after i found it, it stopped breathing and died.

The remaining two eggs were abandoned the following night. The parents had decided to invest their energy in a safer nesting site. The eggs die without incubation, and they had been abandoned on a cold, rainy night. I think my trimming of the area around the nest and my constant checking in on it may have contributed to this, and i feel bad about it.