This evening we headed out to look for apple sticks for our rabbits and were walking in a nearby park when a cute little skunk came galloping towards us forcing us to change course and turn around to head elsewhere, and fast.
Out of necessity, we ended up walking a section of trail we've been avoiding lately due to the ferociousness of the mosquitoes there and found that one of the apple trees was filled with a chorus of flitty baby Black-capped Chickadees of quite a number. One brood has already fledged from our nest box at our house and a second pair is very busy bringing green worms many times a day to nestlings who must have just hatched recently based on the activity levels of both parents.
((Watching baby Chickadees (or any baby birds) learn to sing and take their first flight is a rare delight those who are attentive nesting hosts are afforded and which we enjoyed immensely a few weeks back.))
As Maria and I were transfixed by the Chickadees in the apple tree, Lucas had an ear out for a pair of Northern Cardinals who were new to the area this spring and whom he hoped would nest in the trees by the trail. Sure enough, within a few moments he came over excitedly to tell Maria and I that not only did he see the parents, he heard and sighted a little fledgling with its tiny crest up in some evergreen trees off trail. As well, he heard, but did not see at least one if not two other baby Cardinals there. We all nearly went out of our skin with excitement at this good news! As soon as we got home he sent the sighting off to the UPEI bird list serve as he is pretty certain this is the first confirmed mating pair to produce a successful brood on PEI. WOW!
While Northern Cardinal sightings have become somewhat more frequent lately on PEI, with several showing up on the email list over the past while, including a brilliant red male in our Maple Tree earlier this year, I cannot help but wonder why they're making their way to our little Island. Are they like any species on the move just looking for suitable habitat with reliable food sources? Did they take off from elsewhere due to habitat destruction from unsustainable forestry practices etc? Why did they choose the little wood nearby our house to set up their new home? How likely is it that the fields and woods of their new home will stay as fields and woods given the high rate of new housing development in Stratford?
It would seem that while we weren't open to other humans from other provinces this spring, we opened up to a new bird species. I hope the Cardinals find PEI is a good place to call home.
Thanks for reading!
Jill
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