OT Sometimes you get lucky...!

Rarely get Mr and Mrs to pose together! At Lake Manawa State Park, near Council Bluffs, Iowa

I have about a dozen Cardinals that come to the bird feeders on the side porch every morning and fly out and back to sit in the Mulberry tree.

They are really something. I had a female run into the garage door window once. It was early December and cold enough, she would have died. I took her in, got her settled and warmed up, she stayed a few days, and was like a pet, no fear of me at all. Would take sunflower seeds from my hand, and they are sunflower seed processors ! She would perch on my finger from where ever she was in the garage, just walk up to her and extend the invitation. Took her outside a few times, she would not leave. Eventually, she did and was like nothing ever happened. Big fine if you get caught by the feds with one of these.

Years later, on New Years eve, near dusk, I heard this knocking on the side door to my front porch. I'm thinking it's a prankster friend of mine. I go to the front door and look. Male cardinal, knocking on the door with his beak. Nothing wrong with him that I could see. Was not the reflection thing in the glass or window. No idea to this day what in heck this was about. He too was friendly, so I brought him in, made a roost for him, gave him some sunflower seed, which he took from my hand. Next day, I brought him out and he was good to go, off he went. Should have a photo of him somewhere, the previous one with the female, I had both photos and video, seems I lost stuff from '04 when a computer went down.

Last spring, when they have their young, I found a runt, that was barely a runt, no doubt he could make it on his own with a little help. I re-perched him on a better tree, and his folks were right near by, both of them. I quietly left him and watched, they came in to look after him and I assume he made it too. I was cutting the grass, so I just wanted to make sure he was well out of the way and off the ground. They are really cool birds, he had no problem with me, his folks did not go into panic either. Try that with a Robin, they go nuts.

Best one I ever rescued was a Swift. I heard this commotion in my stove pipe one spring day. Knew it was a bird, figured a starling or similar. Nope, a darned Swift ! How cool was that, I had never seen one before and it looked like a swallow, definitely not. I got him settled in, gave him some water, and let him rest up over night. The next day he flew off and literally did a circle around the house as if to say thanks. I have photos of him. He must have thought the chimney was a cliff where he'd make a home. So glad I was there to hear him in that pipe.

nice. It would make a Christmas card!

They're the state bird in Ohio. I always have two or three pairs nesting around the yard. The females mostly stay in cover.

I love birds . I get a few but none quiet that pretty
this time of year

They come to my feeder in pairs. The male stands guard while the female eats and the female guards while the male eats.

Billy--You're alright! Good story---Tee

Great stories Billy, thanks for sharing. I love my birds.....watching 4 feeders out the window as I type. Have had the same families at the feeders for yrs. and like you stated, they are basically tame. We get a window hit from time to time and with a little help I can usually get them going again. I've counted 27 pair of Cardinals here at the same time a few yrs. ago. I go thru 40# bags of sunflower seeds very quick. Enjoyable to set on the porch & watch all the activity.