Birds?

[4sumrzn]

I think I recall there being a few bird lovers here!? I suppose I could start searching the net, but thought I would ask here first.

We were out on the back porch a few days ago & kept hearing this chirping noise. It would stop when the air conditioner shut off. My thought.....GREAT, another repair! husband mentioned he saw Cardinals hanging out in the bushes around the unit. I still had it stuck in my head I was going to have to call the repair guy!

Today.....I'm out working in the yard & hear it again. Look up & see 2 Cardinals "busy" going from the tree ~ to roof ~ to bushes ~ to ground. The air is running. I snoop around, get closer, they move around but stick close by. Air goes off. Chirping noise gets louder. I go back & forth snooping around for almost 2 hours now. I don't see anything...the Cardinals are still hanging around & I can't tell where the chirping from. Curiosity is killing me!!!!!!

My question...I'm so daggon curious now if there is a nest of Cardinals out there....will I put the birdies in danger if I keep searching????? I really want to get on the roof & check the end of the gutter.....

 

[Abbey]

They like to make nests in gutters. Lots of free debri to use for nests. It's highly likely that at this time of year they have babies.

The other thing is birds tend to try and match whatever noise level is going on. So, it's not surprising that they would increase their volume when you AC kicks in.

I doubt they would nest in the AC unit.

Abbey

 

[Hound dog]

I think Abbey is right. They're in the gutter probably. You can look at the nest, but don't touch. And might wanna be careful about looking as Mom and Dad might not take to it well and dive bomb you.

PS Don't mess with a BlueJay nest! They don't mess around.

 

[Abbey]

You can look, but certainly don't touch. If they have the scent of something foreign, they'll kick them out of the nest. Even if you get a dive bomb, they're not that bad. Just a few pokes here and there. No bites.

Jays? Oh, my. There are tons of Jays in Lake Tahoe. They are AGGRESSIVE!!! They're also so used to tourists that they'll come within inches of you.

Abbey

 

[jal]

There should not be any Cardinals in the nest now. The babies should be gone. Ours left over 3 1/2 weeks ago. We had a nest in one bush and a Robin's nest in another - right at our front door. We watched them hatch and be fed. Something got to the Robin's nest one night and got them all. Determined not to have that happen to the Cardinal's I put a ring f bleach aound the tree-don't know if that what did the trick, but all the Cardinals made it to fly within 2 days and haven't been back since.

 

[4sumrzn]

Thank you guys!!! I'm gonna have to snoop....just have to. I won't touch, just snoop!

Actually, I'm a bit upst this year.....it's the first year in 9 that the BlueJay hasn't been hanging around in the row of honeysuckles behind the pool Noooo.....I won't mess with them. That's why I'm asking about the Cardinals.....I haven't done any bird homework (except, I learned I will never own one again after my parents gave me an evil one). I'll just enjoy watching/listening to them outside

 

[4sumrzn]

OK....easy child helped me out. Got the ladder, checked out the gutter....nothing. Chirping stopped too. Cardinals STILL staying close. I decided to move the ladder to a different place to look around. Nothing. No chirping either.

Well, as I'm getting down from the ladder.....scoping out the bushes....there is a teenie weenie little bird pirched on a branch right above the air conditioner. I TURNED THE AIR OFF! Poor thing will get shot across the yard if that turns on. Do I assume I've missed a nest & there might be more???

 

[totoro]

Hmmm, did you look under the AC? Last summer swallows got in our electrical box... the chicks were born. I kept hearing them, but could not find them. Everytime I looked they would hide. I looked for over a week. I would see the Mom and Pop flying around swooping... I knew I heard them!!! husband thought I was crazy!!! I bought another swallow nest, we have a bunch. So I sat there for over an hour just listening and watching! Finally 3 little babies came popping out from a tiny hole in the floor...I actually cornered them, I had gloves on, scooped them up rolled them into my t-shirt, gently climbed the ladder to the new nest and placed them in. About 15 minutes later the Mom and Pop heard them calling, one had it's little head popping out, they flew in and all lived happily ever after!!! We even saw them learn how to fly... I almost cried.
They are all nesting right know about to hatch, I am so excited.
You might try just sitting there for awhile and quietly watching and listening?

 

[4sumrzn]

totoro....today is the day I had a list a mile long, no kids to babysit, difficult child is having a "good" day & I've been on "birdie patrol" all afternoon. I can't believe how I've been obsessed with them today. SO very cool to see the baby & it finally moved to a more "secure" area.

I don't know if I can get a good look under the AC. Maybe I'll tell husband he's got to figure out a way to check it out for me when he gets home! I called him a few minutes ago to tell him I saw a baby birdie finally & now know why the Cardinals are hanging out. For some reason, he wasn't as thrilled about the finding as I was!

Thanks for all of the input guys. I appreciate it. I'm just worried there are more somewhere & want them to be safe.

 

[Hound dog]

Does this birdie baby have his feathers? If so, mamma might have been encouraging a flying lesson. If he's got his feathers, momma should be able to manage to get him back safely into the nest.

Nichole made me furious one year. She "found" a baby bird (robin) hopping around the yard yelling it's head off. Of course she had to come to it's rescue, next thing I know she's bringing it to me. I scolded her. Lucky for baby bird I'd spotted the nest while doing yard work. We carefully took him back and placed him at the bottom of the shrubbery where their next was. I was nervous Momma might not take him back. But next thing we knew she had him tucked safely back into the nest.

 

[4sumrzn]

OMG you guys....I know I'm emotional ALL OF THE TIME. But, now I'm crying over this baby bird. It just started storming. The birdie moved to a curly willow tree which doesn't provide much "coverage". It's out there swinging & swaying on this little branch. I'm soaking wet & freaking out OVER A BIRD! I suppose there isn't a daggon thing I can do for this little thing?????

Oh, yes...it has feathers & is SO CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[4sumrzn]

OK. The sun is back out. Baby bird is still in the same place. Mommy & Daddy (I guess????) are still hanging around keeping watch. I suppose I'll close the book now. Thanks for being here!

***Now, I just need to make sure I don't lose sleep over it tonight. I can picture it now.....flashlight out, check on bird, toss & turn, check on bird. Hopefully the little peep will figure out how to do what it's suppose to so I'm not repeating this whole thing tomorrow

 

[Fran]

I love watching the cardinals. They are beautiful in their bright red. I found bird food that is HOT! to squirrels but not to birds. I hope this will keep the squirrel population from ripping the feeders apart.

I brush my very furry dogs on the patio once or twice a week. I usually get a plastic grocery bag full of fur but the bundles that escape into the breeze are picked up by the birds for their nests. It's really funny to see the fur recycled. We have a lot of woods around us so there are a lot of birds, frogs and big predator birds who watch the feeder and little pond off the patio. I startled what I think was a hawk but at that hour of the morning felt like a pteradyctyl. (sp?) Who would have thought that watching birds would be so entertaining?

 

[4sumrzn]

Uggg......now the Beagle is out next door. Baby bird is one hop away from being in Snoopy's yard. See....I knew I couldn't "let it go"......I'm still sneaking around, looking out windows, sneaking around corners....checking out the Cardinal Family.

My poor husband...he's probably just as tired of hearing about the birds as you guys are.

Once again....thanks again for listening & helping out today!

 

[4sumrzn]

Fran.....I forgot....the dog hair comment. We would brush our Husky out back & the yard would look like it had been snowing. We enjoyed looking out the windows & watching the birds take off with their new furry warm addition to the nest.

 

[Hound dog]

I swear every year the birds sit and wait for me to brush off Rowdy's winter fur. lol It comes out in thick clumps every spring as I brush him. All that soft downy under fur. The birds love it, and have apparently come to expect it. lol

Hope the baby is safely back in his nest by morning.

((hugs))

 

[totoro]

husband has been laughing at my recent obsession with birds. I tell him it is one of the things I can do while I am "stuck" at home with K being so unstable. I have been quite surprised at how much over the past 4 years I have grown to love this!
Just tonight I saw my first Towhee... I was yelling at husband to get in the Kitchen to look out at one the feeders. It was sitting on the fence looking at the feeder, a male. It was beautiful!!!
I saw one Grosbeak as well a few weeks ago, my first here as well!
We don't get Cardinal's here. They are beautiful. The past month has been mostly Golden House Finches, Tree Swallows and a variety of Hummingbirds which are all fun to watch. Oh and Chickadees. The Swallows and Chickadees are nesting right now.
Keep us posted on the baby!!!
I had to move my baby Swallows last year because the electrical box had to be closed and they need a nest. Plus they were not yet flying, and all 3 of them were too tiny to make it on there own! The parents were frantic, until they could get to them, it was so sweet.