A female cardinal in nest-building mode landed on top of an outdoor spigot (a favorite perch for a variety of birds) with a beak full of brown bamboo leaves.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53rA-MRufgI821amcqcjkpYj-rx_pfPVGsSuajDhW_P5f0jjfqHoirOPW4MhfUkuybzPkqtvBVFJoRodvBzHQTbhEjU2tKzONWabgljV7DN0QRzenBwjuOHBs9pVxe8ODbbxYZD4nclA/s400/1-cardinal+with+nesting+material+%25284%2529.JPG) |
A mouth full of nesting material |
With bamboo, old leaves fall off after new leaves form. The grayish-brown, light-weight fibers fall to the ground and eventually decompose into the soil.
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Old leaves fall off and cover the ground beneath a stand of bamboo |
But this female cardinal had other purposes in mind for the faded foliage. To her, it's the perfect material to weave into her nest.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifX4D9glGseg6BSp9ghqQEmD7qrFt7Ej6gkHbH_NlpxqNZ935Xnw6SnUjH6OArLE9hTosMDGAGBxY6W1MR85TpzkxB1Ez_3WWBoyF6x-XPeeAs6CTxmu9P6bXMN1hiZXYNKTSHGumQpOE/s400/1-cardinal+with+nesting+material+%25282%2529.JPG) |
Sitting pretty on top of an outdoor spigot |
I captured the cardinal with nest-building on her mind. Now all I have to do is see if I can figure out where she's secreted away her cozy compound.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNRadE-HAbKanY_ykr3mJtfCR8aXdLrdHSghc7-TNvJF9EHfx62YHYlLBtxQhmgkrppPD3X1Gms5PC2r2X4mJlfvzeaT4W_lgEkgTak5IUrkpFB_WR_Vvj-gx6UnXuGVAsfO_FJACYTs/s400/cardinal+nest+in+angel+mist+004.jpg) |
Several years ago a cardinal decided to combine bamboo nesting material with the bamboo itself by building its nest in the middle of a clump of Angel Mist Timber Bamboo |
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