For a number of years I've observed Cardinals nesting around my yard only to have their nest raided by cats or some other animal. Very frustrating, to the point I was thinking of enclosing the nest in chicken wire which would still allow the parents to get to the nest. Or would this cause the parents to abandon the chicks? This year they built a nest early in the Spring and then abandoned it and I believe the same pair rebuilt in another location and had 3 chicks.Today I discovered the chicks had perished in the nest with about a dozen of the mothers feathers in and around the nest. Since the chicks were still in the nest I suspect it likely wasn't a predator but maybe the recent cold snap. Is it possible the mother sheds feathers to keep the chicks warm while it leaves the nest to get food? Or maybe the feathers were the result of an attack and whatever attacked the mother had its' fill and spared the chicks?
Your responses are appreciated
