Sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal

I finally got around to trimming some overgrown bushes today during Jude's nap. My very first swipe across the side of the bush uncovered this:



Inside were three of these:


I knew right away that it belonged to the cardinals I see frequently from our sunroom. I immediately chided myself for not remembering them and checking for the nest before I removed all of it's cover.

The cardinals are there right now scoping out the damage. I really hope they don't abandon the nest, but I really did a number on the branches that were protecting it from view. In fact, another two inches and I would have taken off some of the nest itself.

On another note, can you believe all the plastic they used in building that nest?!? They even found some bubble wrap! It's very interesting, but also kind of sad how easy it was for them to find so much plastic garbage lying around.

Anyway, does anyone know if there's anything I can do to help ensure that the cardinals don't abandon the nest?

I'll update in the comments in another day or two on whether the cardinals are going to brave the openness to raise those little eggs.