cardinals

I spotted the nest by accident.
While sitting at the computer, I had spotted movement out of the corner of my eye.
It was a stray cat!
Creeping along a sturdy branch of the azalea!
I rapped on the window pane to scare it off, but it was determined, so I had to hiss at it from the front door to make it run off.
That's when I noticed the nest.

Then, the papa cardinal caught my attention as he flitted past, perching in my neighbor's oak tree.
See him near the upper left corner?
He faced me, looking into my eyes.
What would I do?
Would I dismantle this nest, as I had the earlier ones constructed twice inside my mailbox?
What was my next move?
I turned to hiss again at the cat, then closed the door.

Within a few minutes, the mama cardinal flew back to the azalea, checking out her nest, making sure it was still intact.
Then, she looked into my eyes, staring me down.
Would I approach the window?
Did I think her chicks would be safe there from feral felines?
That was on Saturday; she has now chosen a spot in the flowering pear, from which she peeked today.
That should be safe for these welcome visitors.