I mentioned in a few posts about the Cardinals that are nesting in the Meyer Lemon tree just outside our back porch. If you look close into the center of this picture you will see the nest and the orange beak of the Mama bird.
I named the Mama bird Lemonette since she chose a lemon tree. Here she sits on the fence wood.
This is her stunning mate bringing her food.
I am taking these photos from my dining room window.
Sadly this is the last time to see her mate. Something happened to him and he never came back.
Lemonette laid her eggs and she called for him each day but he never came.
There were three eggs, something happened to one of the eggs.
Lemonette has done an amazing job being a single mom. She has left the nest more than most cardinals would but that is only because of the need for food and water since she had no mate to feed her.
Lemonette never quit calling for her mate and soon became very busy.
There were two babies, one did not make it and it was gone. She removed the baby from the nest and started working very hard to keep her remaining baby alive.
I named the baby Meyer since it is a Meyer lemon tree that the baby lives.
Meyer started growing rapidly. This morning I discovered that Meyer had opened it's eyes.
Then Meyer found his or her voice..... I could hear from the window.
Mama was off the nest quite a bit searching for food for Meyer. Then I noticed a couple of male cardinals in the area. They started chasing each other. Were they interested in Lemonette? I went to the internet to read more on Cardinal behavior and I read that often they will find another mate.
So I marked my calendar and put the dates 9, 10, 11, 12th days. This was when it was time to watch for Meyer to leave the nest. I read that it could take 15 days but from what I have read normally it is more like 9 to 11 days. Yesterday was day 9 and this photo was taken yesterday.
It was a special day as well because Meyer was starting to stand up in the nest, make it's first cardinal chirp sounds and I laughed as I could see the leaves on the lemon tree moving about as meyer was trying to stand on the edge of the nest.
Photo taken 10th day.
Meyer is still here and it is morning of the 10 day since hatching. It should be an interesting day. Notice there is a young green lemon in the upper right of this photo.
I noticed this male has been keeping a watchful eye on Lemonette and Meyer. He is probably the male that won over her attention the last few days.
I would feel better knowing that she has another mate and that Meyer will have another parent watching over him/her.
update:
Meyer has left the nest. Here in the center is mom and baby just above the nest.
Mom is doing all she can to coax Meyer to follow her. He seems to young to me. By the way this is still day 10.
Meyer is climbing higher now. I noticed that the new male is very close by.
Mom flew out of the yard looking for food so i snapped a picture with my long zoom lens.
There was a lot of excitement. Meyer flew down to the ground. Mom started acting like she was frantic! She did not want Meyer on the ground. She few to the male bird and chirped and chirped and he flew down close by Meyer and her.
Mom started talking to Meyer encouraging him/her follow her.
Come this way she said.
Then Meyer did a wonderful thing. Meyer flew up on top of the short fence.
It was like Mom was saying good job to Meyer.
Meyer started practicing flapping his/her wings.
Meyer was refusing to go any further without food. I stopped taking pictures at this point because they were getting too far from my zoom range and I did not want to get in the way. This is nature.
My husband and I have prayed for Meyer's safety.
Grandma Donna
