Haven't seen my favorite Cardinal.....

[WILCO]

In about 2 weeks. He's always been in one of several trees and I love watching him flutter about while singing. Sometimes I'll grab the binocular and get a real good look at him. He's always just so beautiful with his bright red feathers. Everytime I hear or see him, it's a real pick me up. It'll be pretty crappy if the local grass lions got him.

[FISH4BUGS]

We have 4 female and 24 or so "baby" turkeys that come daily for meals. We put out cracked corn for them and they love it. I say "baby" because they are almost as big as a small female at this point. We started with some 32 babies, but nature is cruel sometimes.
We also have birds, cats, deer, bear, coyotes, skunks, possums, and all kinds of critters around. I believe in peaceful coesistence except for woodchucks. Genocide is not good enough for them. The woodchucks will suffer from acute lead poisoning if you know what I mean.
One day the critters are there.....then they are not. I think it is good not to know. If a barn cat disappears, you always wonder what happened. If you find it flattened in the road, you KNOW what happened.
Maybe the cardinal just went to another territory. Happens all the time. We have bird feeders and get all kinds then they move on.
Something will take its place.

[Bad Water Bill]

A neighbor kept a yard tiger at his place. In one week it destroyed 4 cardinal nests. 16 young and 8 parents suddenly went A W O L.

It would also be seen carrying home baby rabbits.

Unfortunately I live in Chicagoland so the yard tiger survived for years till the neighbor took their killer and moved.

[runfiverun]

yeah cats do that.
the cardinal could also have been run off by a more aggressive bird like a magpie,or a starling.

i'm trying to remember where i was the first time i seen a cardinal, it had to be in north dakota, no wait it was in Idaho he was with some blue birds.

[popper]

They mate for life, live ~ 10 years and appear to relocate in 4 years. Hopefully they just moved. Now jays are another story.

[WILCO]

and appear to relocate in 4 years. Hopefully they just moved.

That's interesting, as he's been in the area for 3 years now.

[Four-Sixty]

Has anyone else felt there is a decline in all bird activity?

I have many trees in my yard and like the birds very much. Lately, I hear none it seems and seldom see any. I'm in the middle of Georgia, have they migrated somewhere?

[firefly1957]

Two summers ago I had a lot of Indigo buntings in the yard and they vanished a couple weeks later I notice lots of blue feathers in the woods 100 yds north of the house looking around I found a hawks nest, They have to eat to.

Last winter one of those darned feral cats got a short ride from a hawk or owl I so do like a fresh snow to see what has gone on in the yard overnight! After the cat hit the ground it ran into the road were it was chased by three canine (coyotes?) I hope they got it!

[DCM]

DCMs wife here AKA "the bird lady".

We've had the same pair of cardinals for at least 8 years nesting in our yard.
I don't know where you live, but here in WI they're here year round.
Usually seem them very early in the morning and early evening, that's when they seem to sit and eat the longest.
They love peanut pieces, black oil sunflower seeds and safflower. With the safflower you won't get the squirrels, but you'll get quite a few mourning doves if they are in your area.
They prefer eating off of flat feeders (better if you have cat problems) or the ground and they like thick 6 foot tall or taller bushes to nest in (won't use bird houses).
This year we had a nest in my bridal wreath bush (new pair) and in our willow (old pair).
We have a problem with neighborhood cats too.
Can't catch them with a normal trap, they're too well fed, can't shoot with a gun, too close to neighbors, have thrown bricks at them and shot at them with airgun. They'll stay away for a while.
Problem is these guys kill for fun, they just leave the dead birds and baby bunnies lying around.

[WILCO]

DCMs wife here AKA "the bird lady".

Welcome aboard "Bird Lady"!

Thanks for the input. We have the same problem with the grass lions here. Can't tag them because of too many snoops and kooks.

[popper]

Tree Rats Must Die! I could send you a train load of grackles and another of mocking birds if you pay the freight. Grackles are 'open season' anytime. Unfortunately the mocking bird is the state bird. I sure miss the meadowlark and cardinals.

[DLCTEX]

I have a pair that nest in my Honeysuckle vine arbor. They haven't been successful at raising a family in the past two years and I blame the extreme heat. Eggs in the incubator won't survive 110*+, and I suspect they won't in a nest either. I have to cover the outside mirrors on my vehicles to keep the male from fighting his reflection and making a mess perching on the car between attacks.

[Blacksmith]

We had a banner year for Barn Swallows the last nest just fleged. They raised three broods this year.

[fecmech]

For the past couple of years I've had a male Cardinal pecking at himself in one of my upper kitchen windows, he's evidently a slow learner. My wife feeds the birds and we have quite an assortment that come to the yard year round. We also have Red Tail hawks that make occasional passes through, usually in the winter when times are a little tougher and pick off a smaller bird.

[Freightman]

Saw a pair yesterday training there young, also have a lot of Blue Jays and dove, White wing, Morning, and ring neck. The Blue Jays keep the Grackles out mostly, but some parts of town the Grackles have taken over and they are a mess.

[WILCO]

I FINALLY SEEN MY CARDINAL TODAY!!!!

Went for a morning walk and upon my return, I heard a happy little tune in the backyard. To my surprise, it was my cardinal in the little backyard tree. He was a brilliant red and I watched him for a minute or two before he flew off.

[x101airborne]

Haye, good deal! Glad to hear all is well.

I am a cat killing fool. No apologies. Feral cats account for more than 70% of all wild bird depredation in Texas according to Texas A&M. I am a conservationist!

[Bad Water Bill]

I had a kitty cat in the neighborhood. Yes it wore a collar and had the proper tags on it. It took out 4 complete cardinal,mourning dove and a couple robbin nests in one summer that I knew about. I do not know how many times I saw it coming back to its home with a live baby rabbit in its mouth. Finished killing it on the door step.

The birds have not come back even tho that neighbor moved 4 years ago.

[bruce drake]

If I see a cat in the woods and I am armed, it disappears. I too am a conservationist.

[WILCO]

Haye, good deal! Glad to hear all is well.

Thanks! Keep up the conservationist work.