Slideshow: Determined 'Insane' Cardinal <g>

[Touchstone Farm,Ky]

This lovely creature has been battling himself for two weeks now. If we cover the cars he starts on the house windows. Never seems to get hurt... you have to let the smilebox fully load to match the music <s>

http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4f4455304d6a59314f413d3d0d0a&blogview=true

[Vesper Sparrow]

For a couple of springs, my house was under attack by a Song Sparrow convinced he had a rival living inside. He would hurl himself against the windows and peck at the window ledges. I was afraid he would hurt himself but he never did.

[LaurieB]

LOL, that was great! And your pictures are wonderful :)

[rcloisonne]

Wow, nice job! The music was perfect too.

What is it with cardinals anyway? I had a female cardinal attacking my bedroom window on and off for two freakin years. I finally taped a picture of a hawk to the window. She got the hint and no, didn't try any other window.

[FoxChaser]

I have them too!! Female cardinals- one bashes herself against the basement & living room windows, another the garage window, and a third at my horse trailer window. This happens every spring.

[MunchkinsMom]

My "window banging" cardinal is a male, I've seen his mate sitting in the tree watching him. He has been at this for two years, seems to only do it during mating season. My huband got so sick of it that he setup a motion sensing sprinkler thing, it didn't make any difference, and personally, the spraying of the window was more annoying than the stupid bird. He finally took it down.

So far the cardinal has not started attacking his reflection in the windows this year, I hope he figured it out.

[Laytian]

Better than a mocking bird attacking you and the dog every time you venture out of the door...!!!! :eek::eek::mad: Dog didn't want to go outside alone for a few weeks. :sigh: :rolleyes:

And yes, the music is perfect...even if he *isn't* a Blackbird. :D Nice rendition too.

[theoldgreymare]

What is it with cardinals anyway? I had a female cardinal attacking my bedroom window on and off for two freakin years. I finally taped a picture of a hawk to the window. She got the hint and no, didn't try any other window.

Brilliant! We had a female who nested in the Magnolia outside our dining room. I taped cardboard over the window because she actually cracked the glass in the storm window she was so enraged by her reflection.

The pictures are lovely Touchstone!

[MunchkinsMom]

Better than a mocking bird attacking you and the dog every time you venture out of the door...!!!! :eek::eek::mad: Dog didn't want to go outside alone for a few weeks. :sigh: :rolleyes:

We have a bumper crop of mockingbirds on my farm, and I only had one that attacked anything other than other birds, and it only attacked one of my four dogs, and the funniest part is that it would attack the large stubborn dog only when I called her to come in. If the dog didn't come in the bird would swoop down and peck her on the behind - it was brilliant! But the bird only did it during nesting season.

[Laytian]

We have a bumper crop of mockingbirds on my farm, and I only had one that attacked anything other than other birds, and it only attacked one of my four dogs, and the funniest part is that it would attack the large stubborn dog only when I called her to come in. If the dog didn't come in the bird would swoop down and peck her on the behind - it was brilliant!

That bird must have been a dog trainer in a previous life!! *snicker* :eek: :lol: :D

[TB or not TB?]

A mockingbird was determined to mate with my Cockatiel, who's cage would be set outside during warm spring days. All night he serenaded my dear bird (also a male) with his joyous noises of the human world, like cell phone rings and car alarms and pop cans opening and the screech of tires, but alas, to no avail.

It was a forbidden love.

I kinda hoped they'd create Mockatiels.

[apcohrs]

We named ours Don ... Don Quixote.

He's been attacking our windows for 4 years. He's no longer a big beautiful red bird. He's scrawny and beat up looking. He doesn't stop long enough to eat. I'm mystified as to how he attracts a mate, but he defends a nest every year.

[ChocoMare]

What lovely photographs!

For us, it's the bluebirds at the barn. They love the car windows and side-view mirrors. Watched one determined male Saturday for about 20 minutes. Once he got fed up with trying to run off the "intruder," he politely pooped on the passenger side seat of my friend's truck and flew off. :lol:

[Amwrider]

Loved it! Lovely photos.

[Foxhound]

We had an attack cardinal at my mom's house. It appeared to be a female. It would attack one bay window in particular, but would switch to another window if it could see a person inside. The crazy thing came back year after year, but I think it must have died by now, probably from exhaustion.

Here's a link to a funny David Sedaris essay on the subject:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/01/29/070129fa_fact_sedaris

[2DogsFarm]

Foxhound - thanks for the link, I LOVE David Sedaris :D

I have cardinals, but so far all they ever do is beat me in a whistling contest. Those suckers will keep it up forever!

My Drama Queens are the killdeer who run shrieking from me whenever I head for the barn, complete with the Fake Broken Wing Dance.
You'd think by now they would have realized I'm obviously too stupid to find their nests.

Inside the barn I have starlings who chased out my barn swallows :mad: and nest in some holes I really need to plug up this Spring.
They also fledge the World's Dumbest Babies who crash around in panic looking for a way out even though the Dutch Doors from the stalls are always open to Freedom.

[Calhoun]

Loved it, thanks for posting.

[Touchstone Farm,Ky]

They have built their next IN the tack room in the bandage box...Now we get attacked every time we try to go in the barn. Its a good thing they are so beautiful...

[cssutton]

Hang a mirore in a prominent place and the birds will fight that.

It saves the mess they otherwise make on your terraces or cars.

CSSJR