Fledglings, Flowers, and Foliage

Fledglings!

Last week, I wrote about the baby cardinals that came into this world on my front porch...in the light fixture to be exact.  And last week, those babies were so tiny, naked, and helpless.  You can see the newborn photos at Life on a Front Porch.  Imagine my surprise when I stepped on the front porch just seven days later, and the three babies were perched on various spots around the fixture.  

Life on a Front Porch

If you were to step onto my front porch right now, you would likely be greeted with a cheery song (or a shrill warning) by the latest tenants to take up residence.  About a week and a half ago, I discovered a cardinal pair had built a nest in the lighting fixture hanging just outside my front door.  The light hangs far too high for me to see inside the nest.  Faced with a quandary whether or not to remove it, I wrote a post about the situation last Friday.  In the end, I did leave the nest alone, for I noticed that Mama Cardinal was already roosting quietly and seriously on that nest.   When I awoke this morning, Mama was up and about and flitting around busily collecting grubs and worms.  Then I saw her fly to the nest, and though I didn't have a great view, she appeared to be feeding babies!

FFU April 2010: A Feast of Foliage

Today is Foliage Follow-Up, hosted by Pam at Digging.  We truly have a feast of foliage in this garden today.  The (too many) deciduous trees I have planted in this garden finally look more like trees than sticks!  They have all filled in nicely over the past couple of weeks, making the garden so much greener and lusher and shadier than it's been for months.  : ) 

What's Going on in the Garden?

Join me on a walkthrough in my garden today, where springy thoughts abound!

I love birds.  I love cardinals.  Aren't they just the quintessential songbird?  They delight us year-round with their delightful chirps, and the garden just wouldn't be the same without them.  But, tell me, what would you do if a cardinal pair decided to build a nest in your entry portico?