I don’t think I’ve ever shared the story of how I got into birding. Although, it isn’t much of a story, really. About this time last year, between the end of February and beginning of March, I awoke one morning and decided to have coffee outside for a change. The first signs of spring were beginning to emerge, and as I remember, it was quite sunny and just a little bit warm. As I was strolling through the yard with my cup, I happened to look up and see a bright red bird sitting in one of the bare trees. And while I had seen Northern Cardinals before, there was something about that particular bird on that particular morning that was just…perfect. Sublime, even. I felt a big smile spread across my face and said to myself, “I am going to start learning about birds.” And I did.
So, in this post, I thought I’d pay homage to the little red bird who sparked my interest in birdwatching. At present, I know there are at least two males and two female Northern Cardinals who visit my feeder regularly. They also like to perch for long periods on a shepherd’s hook in the garden, where I hang a hummingbird feeder in spring and summer. That always makes for excellent photo opportunities. You’ll notice that most of the photographs in this post were taken on that shepherd’s hook.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Northern Cardinals, they are medium-size song birds who are common throughout much of North America. The male is bright red, and the female is brownish with red accents. They have a bright, beautiful, and distinctive song.
The Used Life 
11 responses to “Birds of Winter: Cardinal Edition”
HYMN TO THE BIRDS
By Alfonsina Storni, poétesse du postmodernisme argentin.
God keep you, little bird
flower of the forest, feathers of gold,
let no one kill your chicks,
let no one touch your treasure.
Let not the storm frighten you
in the merciless nights,
let not the wind punish you,
let not the frost kill you.
Let not the hunter find you
when he searches for you in the jungle,
the shadow for defending you,
in its folds wrap you in its folds.
Fly through the air,
sing always among the branches,
pecks in the gardens,
hangs its nest in the brooms.
God keep you, little bird,
flower of the forest, golden feathers,
let no one kill your chicks,
let no one touch your treasure.
🕊🦜🦩 🙂
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Beautiful poem. Thank you for sharing.
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Ok. I’ll look forward to it.
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You are an excellent writer and photographer. Beautiful!
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Thank you so much, Michele!
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Fantastic!
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Thank you, Bob!
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Very beautiful photos of the male and female cardinals, and, sometimes, it only, takes us, that, unexpected, chance encounter with something around us, for our interest to get, sparked up, then, it becomes, something that, drives, us.
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I agree! Chance encounters like those are often blessings.
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Really beautiful photos…colors so vibrant, it doesn’t seem real. There is something special about observing birds in the wild. Thanks for sharing all of the pictures 🙂
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Thank you so much, my friend! I actually just read that, due to their molting cycle (and the fact that mating season is about to begin), male cardinals are at their reddest right now. It’s always a pleasure to have them around. ☺️
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