Male Cardinal surveys potential nest location. Photo by Louise Peacock

Cardinals

The Cardinals are frequent visitors to our garden. They love the cedar hedge around our back garden, and usually set up their first nest of the year in that hedge.

They are very suspicious birds and will fly away at the slightest movement or sound they deem to be a threat. They are also very territorial and quite agressive towards other birds and also squirrels.

Part of the cedar hedge is outside our kitchen window, which gives us a great view of them in the early spring.

Their preferred modus operendi is to perch in a tall tree and survey the area. Once they feel there is no threat, they descend to a lower branch or tree. They then perch and watch some more.

From that secondary perch they will finally arrive at their true destination which may be the Cedar hedge, or the heated bird bath.

If the destination is the bird bath, the male will zoom in for a quick drink and return to a perch very close by. The female then arrives and takes a more leisurely drink, and very occasionally — a bath.

Early March. The female Cardinal perches on the outer side of the heated birdbath. Photo by Louise Peacock.

It seems that the male Cardinal is the scout, He always arrives first to check things out. Once he deems it “safe”, his mate arrives, but he keeps a lookout all the while.

Male Cardinal checking around for potential danger. Photos by Louise Peacock

The Cardinals usually set up a very early spring nest in either our Cedar hedge or the neighbours’ Pine tree. Once the first set of hatchlings have departed, the leaves are beginning to fill in nicely on the deciduous trees, the Cardinals set up their second nest.

Their second nest is usually in the small and warped Russian Olive tree.

The Russian Olive tree seen center, with white and pink flower at the base. Photo by Louise Peacock

Finally, in mid to late summer, when the sun is at the hottest point in the season, they set up a third nest. This one is usually doomed to failure because they seem to pick a branch that is not well shaded and the hatchlings are unable to survive.

The cardinals seem to hang around for most of the winter. (Hence the many Christmas cards showing a Cardinal on a snowy branch.)

In our garden, there is usually something for them to eat over the winter months, since I generally do not cut back the perennials until spring. The heated bird bath ensures that they always have water.