Northern Cardinal Nest and Eggs

Cardinal nests usually take 3-9 days to build, with the female doing most of the building. The eggs are white with a tint of brown and are marked with brown blotches, which are thicker near the larger end of the egg. Usually, three or four eggs are laid in each clutch, but this nest held two.

I spotted this nest in a spruce tree on the side of a hiking trail. The female flew out of the nest when we walked by, startling us as much as we startled her. The nest was approximately 10cm wide and there were 2 eggs in the nest.