Bird Watching

Noisy Daughter

["No food! No food! What kind of diner is this anyway?"]

While working in the shop yesterday my deep thoughts ("Does this piece fit here or there? Anywhere?") were disturbed by urgent cries from the feeder. Somebody had a crisis on their hands.

Two cardinals were at the feeder but the female was chirping loudly as if to say, "There's no food left and I'm starving. No food! No food!!"

But I had just filled the feeder so I knew something else was up, but just what I wasn't sure. The male flew off, the female stayed and ranted for a few more seconds then joined the male in a tree branch over my head. I watched them for a few more seconds and figured things out.

["Dad! Dad! Don't leave me hanging here!"]

The female appeared very young compared to the male. Father and daughter I bet. She chirped demandingly ("Feed me. Feed me. I don't have the hang of it yet!") and he dropped a seed or two into her mouth. The male then flew off with an encouraging chip, chip, chip and the young female cried out even louder. 

"Don't leave me. Don't leave me. I'm not too steady yet. I'm only on my beginner's license," she seemed to say. But soon, likely a  bit nervous about my stares, off she went, giving her newly-feathered wings a good try out. 

Feathery link to Bird Watching

Photos GH