Feed Me, Feed Me!!!

This poor cardinal has no idea that this is actually a foster child...
I wondered why I hadn't seen any young cardinals yet, and now I know.

Cowbirds in the area!!!! Here is their technique....

Females forgo building nests and instead put all their energy into producing eggs, sometimes more than three dozen a summer. These they lay in the nests of other birds, abandoning their young to foster parents, usually at the expense of at least some of the host’s own chicks.

I know it's how nature works, but I still feel sad for my beautiful cardinal parents!!