bird 15

northern cardinal
cardinalis cardinalis


i am not a morning person.  yet this morning, i needed to be up to put the finishing touches on the easter baskets.  i convinced myself that leaving my warm bed was the right thing to do as i shuffled into the kitchen to make tea in silence.  in my pajamas with my hair tangled more than usual, as my mother would say, i "was a sight for sore eyes".  

gazing out the window, i caught a flash of red.  it couldn't be.  i hadn't seen the cardinals for many weeks.  and besides, they are supposed to be seen with a crisp winter scene behind them, as depicted on christmas cards.  on this grey day, here was mr. cardinal, digging in the melting snow for some discarded sunflower seed.  

for most people, cardinals top the list for the most beautiful, most recognized winter birds.  but here was mr. cardinal, a bit scruffy, eating his breakfast like the rest of us.  in the past, i have felt like paparazzi stalking the cardinal family for my bird blip.  i set them high on a pedestal.  today it was just the two of us, hanging out.  no pretense.  no expectations.  it was an easy shot to take.

mr. cardinal.  thanks for coming to my feeder this morning.  thanks for helping me to see that you are like any other bird.  being red and famous, followed and photographed, does not change that.  in this world that values celebrity, i value the breakfast we shared together on easter morning.