I had an adventure on April 10th while walking my laps around the pool. Mrs. Cardinal almost hit my face when she flew into the bush 3 feet in front of my face, and sat at eye level in a half dead bush. I stopped and we had a stare down. As long as I stood and stared her in the eye, she looked at me. I had no camera in my hand. By the time I had my camera she was way up in the tree..
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| cropped/lightened for detail |
Fast forward with me to April 15th. At 3 pm, Jake eats dinner, we go out by the pool and do exercise's. Bob is in the pool, I am doing my kicks , (think Chuck Norris, heh heh heh..) and the mother cardinal starts to chitter and falls on the ground, the daddy cardinal is on the fence screaming, I start screaming at Bob, the baby is on the ground, there a SNAKE after him, the black snake is about 4 foot long, the mother is flopping around trying to get him away, I run over while screaming to Bob get out and help me.... I have a broom to frighten the snake which I do (we never harm our black snakes)... he hides in the bush, the Cardinals are going wild and shrieking at me, the baby is fluttering on the ground. The parents land by the baby.... I continue to poke at the snake, Bob finally gets out of the pool and is trying to pick up the snake to move it... I am yelling he will bite you, the parents are yelling kill that snake.... the story ended well... the snake left for the neighbors yard under the fence, the parents and baby disappeared, who knows how they got it back in the nest. The thing is they built the nest in our bush and that is why she landed in front of me, protecting the nest. they are really quite stupid to build a nest in a bush and not a tree... Did you know snakes climb bushes and trees? we have watched the black snake climb in a hibiscus in the past. And climb the fence...
27 comments:
I've got palpitations after reading this post, lol
Briony
x
Glad it turned out well for the bird family. I had a BIG black snake get into our house through the open patio door one time. I'm not sure how long he was, but he grows every time I tell the story!!
Sitting on the edge of my seat as the drama played out. Love a happy ending. (I had vision of you tumbling into the pool).
Good morning, that is drama in the backyard. I can just imagine hearing the screams from the cardinal parents. I am glad there was a happy ending though for the birds and the snake. Happy Tuesday, enjoy your day!
I did not know that about black snakes! I know Cardinals usually build kinda low, like in bushes. Nothing worse that them fluttering their wings right in your face!
Wow! I was on the edge of the couch with your blow by blow! The house finches build a nest in our bush that touches the front of the house. They do it every spring, and we never see the babies. Cats most likely. Hopefully they can hide your baby well till he can fly better! A mom will drop down in front of an enemy and drag her wing to act wounded, that way she lures enemies away from the nest. I love your first unedited picture the best, it is gorgeous with the black silhouette. The black of the tree and bird, with the gorgeous blue and green behind are so stunning!
LOVE your story and pictures today, it had action and beauty. A perfect first post of the morning. You are so GOOD at story telling and snapping!! I know, a second comment. But I do need to rave.
You told the tale so well I felt the fear for the little bird. I am glad you don't kill the snake. They are so good for our ecology. Of course we have to be careful around them. But you and Bob are my heroes today :)
that was a real life Crocodile Dundee tale! Yikes...yes why do the build in bushes. Probably doesn't matter where though cause snakes can go where there is food. We had a time with a ghost snake eating our bluebird eggs. Shimmied up the shaft that had a dome baffle on it. Which is supposed to deter snakes..sneaky thing must have coiled its lower body around the shaft somehow and got into the bb box. We know they didn't hatch it was too early. Whether it was a snake not even a morsel of egg was in the nest so that indicates snake. I raccoon could not have maneruve past the baffle either.
Waiting on my Geek to come
Hugs Cecilia
Great adventure story! The birds in my yard use the bougainvilleas. I even have a Brown Thrasher family for the last few years they keep coming back. I too am happy to hear you did not kill the snake. He keeps out the toads/ frogs.
Wow that was intense. And is the baby back in the bush?
Oh yes, the snakes can go just about anywhere! Glad you were able to save the baby. Those snake are sneaky and little ones can disappear really fast. I bet you and Bob were a site! haha....that is too funny to think about.
Your story made me get all tied up inside! what a brave woman you are! I am happy the birds are back together.
Happy to hear that this time all ended well. If you had not been around, it might have been a different story.
Oh my, what a story. I hate snakes! I hope the baby bird is okay.
Like everyone else, I was on the edge of my seat.
So glad the little bird made it and the snake went on his way.
The Circle of Life is so fascinating.
That was certainly a very exciting advenyure gor the baby cardinal. Too bad you didn't have a video. Hlad it all turned out OK
I woke up one morning and found an oak snake coiled around the INSIDE handle of my back door. I still don't know how that snake got in!
I am so glad snakes around here are pretty small and harmless. It is possible to put a baby bird back in the nest if you can reach it. Birds can't small so that story about smelling you isn't true with birds. What a lot of drama that must have been.
OMD...That had me on the edge if my seat!! We are glad all ended well!
You could write a children's story out of this! And yes, I knew snakes climbed trees...
Gracious, but you had me (too) on the edge of my folding chair. There's little I fear more than snakes --even 'seeing' them on television gives me, as they used to say, 'the vapors.' (lol)
Sometimes nature/Real Life sucks. Glad this wasn't one of those times!
Good grief, that was certainly exciting! I hope baby and parents are okay, glad Bob didn't get bit and that all ended well. Those cardinals need to stay in Wisconsin where they're safe and we don't have snakes that climb trees, and very few snakes at all. Great story. When I first started reading it, it reminded me of the old show Dragnet.
That was enough excitement for one afternoon! I'm glad you were able to get the snake away and save the day! Cardinals favor shrubs for nesting. I've seen pictures of snakes climbing into mounted bird houses. They're sneaky!
Wow sweet Sandra that was like watching a movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Glad it turned out well for all involved. Hugs and give Jake nose kisses for us.
you did the right thing. :) so glad it worked out.
Yikes, that was very scary! I do not care for snakes. You were very brave.
Robin
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