It is said that the northern cardinal is the most desirable of all backyard birds. Its brilliant red plumage and vibrant cheerful song brightens our yards and gardens even on the dreariest of days, winter or spring. So it is of little wonder that the discovery of a cardinal’s nest in my rhododendron a few weeks ago brought a smile to my face.

When I noticed a male cardinal hopping around in my backyard like a robin searching for worms, I immediately suspected he might have young tucked away in a nest somewhere close by. Adult cardinals are mostly seed eaters, but they feed their young invertebrates. This cardinal, it seemed, was on a mission; it returned time and time again to the same part of my yard searching for some kind of insect, but with each visit, the cardinal detoured upon leaving, never flying directly back to its nest. Consequently, it took great patience before I could locate the nest hidden close to my house.

Luck, it seems, has been on my side ever since: the nest, it turned out, was in full view from my living room window, and gave me an excellent opportunity to observe. Upon discovery, I could clearly see that there were three tiny hatchlings huddled down deep in the nest, which was made of hemlock twigs, fine grasses, rootlets, and shredded bark. They had to have recently hatched, being so small and naked that the female still needed to cover them with her brood patch. That quickly changed, however, for in just a few days, they grew small downy feathers.

Five days later, they were being fed constantly by both male and female. Only the male gathered food from my backyard — the female flew off in the direction of my raspberry brambles along the edge of my woodlot. Sometime during the second week, I noticed that there was only one nestling. I don’t know the fate of the other two, but I had noticed that one chick seemed more vigorous than the others.

Without any competition, that single nestling quickly gained in size and weight. It fledged from the nest approximately two weeks from hatching or ten days after I first observed it. After witnessing so much over that course of time, the single thing that impressed me the most was the gentle dedication both male and female showed toward their young and each other. It's not every spring I discover a cardinal’s nest within clear view, but fortunately I can see cardinals at the feeder.

Cardinals will visit feeders at the same time each day and announce their arrival with call notes. At my feeder, they work their way in slowly, cautiously advancing from the woodlot. Black oil sunflower seeds work great and also attract the widest variety of birds. But some birders, myself included, swear the best way to keep cardinals year-round at the feeder is by enticing them with safflower seeds.

In a few days, that fledgling cardinal may turn up at the feeder with its dedicated parents by its side. It will be a sight to see each day, as it begs for their attention with demanding cries that will soon give way to song and speak of the bright promise of a new generation.

Robert Tougias is a Colchester based birding author. You can ask him questions at rtougias@snet.net.