The Common Cardinal

You'll never guess what I witnessed in the hedgerow this afternoon?

I was reading by the window in the living room, when the brilliant red feathers of a male Cardinal caught my attention. Of course he was quite obvious against a white backdrop of snow.

But it wasn't until closer inspection that I noticed why he was perched in the hedges.

Do you see her there to the left, near the bottom of the Forsythia bushes?

I'm fairly certain it's the same female Cardinal who was happily singing in the same part of the yard just yesterday. Did you know that the more vibrant the plumage on the male, the more attractive he is to the female? And that once they've selected a mate, the male stays with the female and feeds her and protects her while she sits on their eggs?

It's a beautiful sign that nature knows Spring is on it's way, nevermind that it's still snowing and the temperature is much too far below zero.

Found Nests and Blown Quail Eggs

 

A couple weeks ago Ryan phoned from my Aunt's farm, asking if I wanted any quail eggs.

 

"Quail eggs?" I said, "Where on earth did you find Quail eggs?"

 

A friend of my Uncle had sent them home for them to enjoy. But, having hens of their own, they already had more eggs than they knew what to do with. So, in walked Ryan empty handed, and out he walked with a small carton of a dozen and a half fresh Quail eggs.

 

Having never used a Quail egg before, I wasn't quite sure what to do with them. But then thoughts of Easter and my table setting came to mind and I thought I would try and preserve these delicate little eggs by blowing them.

 

It wasn't as hard as I had heard. I simply poked a small hole in the top, and a slightly larger hole in the bottom. I then blew the contents of the egg into a glass, held the empty shell under water to rinse out the inside and set them out to dry.

 

After I use them for my place settings this Easter, I think I might frame them in a shadow box and set them on a shelf in the nursery beside my small collection of found nests.

 

Each egg is speckled in it's own unique pattern.

 

This is a nest I've had for years. It was found in our back ravine, abandoned through Winter and found in early Spring when the trees are bare and spotting it was easy.

 

I thought it was so cozy that little bits of cotton string were lovingly woven amongst the grass.

 

This is another nest that Ryan found with Willen on a hike. It's a little more sturdy.

 

Once dry, I lined an old wooden tray with a cloth and gently tucked them inside to keep them safe until Easter.