empty nest

baby cardinal learned to fly...
Sad, but, so proud.

nest is empty, now... so cute.. little guy.

OTHER super cool finds

from not in my yard!

cute baby ducks, at Camp. they fit in a cup... from JUNE 29th

Stewart, my camp sweat heart!

and, this AMAZING wasp.

watched the wasp sort of walk the caterpillar over to a rocky area, where it then dug a really deep hole, then literally buried the caterpillar.  watch the next video.. amazing.

cardinal is growing

July 8th

unfortunately, one got bumped out the nest. and, one still isn't hatching. it's been too many days- I'm sure mom/dad will bump that egg out soon

July 9th

this one made it.. and it's STARVING

just imagine what the cry sounds like to the mom and dad

and then today.- July 11-.. I came and found this heap of a bird, totally alive, but, upside down. Quite awkward. 

and this is, well, nature. mom feeding the baby, and then, eating it's poop

and look at today- July 12-

Look at TODAY- JULY 14- exactly ONE week old.

cardinals

here's daddy cardinal, remember? at the end of may, just checking out the site.

so, he chose with his wife, a great little tree, RIGHT in front of my kitchen window. You can't beat that for a viewing place. A Rose of Sharon tree. 

 Sure enough, mama is sitting on three eggs by the end of June. 

(6/25, to be exact)

I watch, I wait, I get nervous because I figured she must be late.

Then, this morning, a flower. ONE flower blooms on the tree. take a look. It's a close shot, but I promise, there is not a single other flower on this tree, or, any of the other 50 trees of this kind in my yard.

It's like mama put a balloon out to alert the neighborhood she had her babies. I could feel it. I got the ladder to double check, and sure enough: 

two of the three are hatched this evening. I'm sure by tomorrow the other will hatch. Mama cardinal is still sitting on her babies and the egg.

It's been 14 days. Agonizing, but, I'm thrilled. And, that one flower is amazing. there aren't even small 'almost flowers' yet on the tree otherwise.