Crazy Cardinal Not So Crazy After All

In previous posts from June I reported on a seemingly deluded female Cardinal who built a nest up alongside the Stevens Nature Center building and next to a highly traveled footpath -- and on a very snake-exposed branch. I wondered if her logic in using human traffic to ward off predation was a winning strategy. It was. The Cardinal had a successful hatching -- and fledglings who are now learning their skills around the Nature Center courtyard. Only this classic Cardinal "effort" (pictured) remains to mark the event. Well, we're all delighted at this success story and I'm sure we'll enjoy watching the youngsters grow up. Will this crazy nest be duplicated next year? Can't wait to see...