Cardinal observations

 

These are from the 9th, two days after the toxic air attack.  Papa cardinal arrived near the nest with lots of food for the nestlings.  There was no reaction at the nest. Sometimes the young are not hungry and he will leave the food in the nest. Mama might feed the kids later on.  I've seen this behavior before. Look at body language. Where are the kids? What's going on?  No sign of attack. No feathers scattered. No female either. Young cardinals can fledge after ten days, but these kids didn't seem ready to leave home. I saw a female collecting food near the bushes, but she didn't look like this nest's Mama. She took food across the avenue.  I watched and waited all day and never saw nest activity, never heard the call of young cardinals, never saw the female at the nest. I checked the area, all the trees and bushes. places where a parent cardinal would guide the young. I know the expected behavior. Nothing.  Did the toxic air kill them?  Where they attacked by prey?  No idea.    I can't see into the nest, too high.  The only good thing is  that I've seen mature adult cardinals in the garden behaving as expected.  I'll keep searching.