Growing Up in the Frericks Backyard

While we didn’t go anywhere the weekend after Mother’s Day, we did still get to be in close touch with nature.



In an earlier blog I showed this nest picture, where Mama Cardinal had nestled her eggs behind the angel statue on our back patio.

Mama Cardinal was not happy when we came out to the patio so we tried to give them the backyard as much as possible. When we came out she would fly the nest in a panic but swoop about nearby and make a lot of racket until she felt safe coming back to roost.

All 4 baby birds hatched in mid-May.

Papa Cardinal was very attentive once the little one’s had hatched and did his fair share of bringing food to the nest.

In only 2 weeks the little one’s were out of the nest and testing their wings. I know all babies are suppose to be beautiful but its hard to believe this homely little guy will someday look like his handsome father!

At first Mama and Papa would push them back in to the nest apparently wanting to get them as strong as possible before they were out for good. Now, they’ve officially flown the nest and are flying enough to make their home in the fir trees on the side of our house. They are really lucky we don’t have a lot of dogs and cats running lose in our neighborhood because these little guys are pretty helpless for awhile when they start testing their wings and end up hopping around on the open ground. At that point, there's no way back to the nest and no way safe from all the predator's at ground level until they get those little wings working.

We are using the patio again but it's been really interesting sharing it with this growing Cardinal family! And since the whole family is still hanging around, they must enjoy Ken's 'green thumb'.


The Clematis,

now in about it's 10th year.

And Ken's roses,

the Rose Mystic Meidiland

..the Rose Sevillana

...of course, it could be they just enjoy the view from the patio as much as we do!

Hugs, C