A Cardinal sort of day

When you go through your images and realize that over 75% of them are of one species, you kind of know what you are going to blip.  The tricky part was picking which one as there were easily a dozen individual cardinals in the garden today.  I decided to go with this one because the plumage is unusual and gives rise to some question as to its gender.

At first look, I would think this was an unusually colorful female.  And it's possible I'd even be right.  But it is more likely that this is a male, hatched late last year, who hasn't yet fully molted.  The woman I know who rehabs birds has three males right now and two of them look like this.  For comparison, I will put a female in Extra.  You can see that here colors are much more muted and she lacks any redness at all on the breast.

In other news, it was really cold and windy again today so, although I really wanted to try to put the hide up, I know it was just going to end in tears.  So, I just huddled on the deck, trying to look like furniture.  In addition to loads of cardinal, the white junco was around, as were all the turkeys.  A small raptor zoomed through - probably a sharp shinned although I really didn't get a good enough look and only one really lousy photo from way too far away.  

Talked to bestie Ellen this morning who got her second Moderna jab yesterday - she said she was feeling fine other than a sore arm.  Vaccitinis last night with the besties was great fun with many laughs.  Three of us all fully vaccinated now and one with first jab checked off. 

There is a flock of starlings and grackles (and maybe a few red-winged blackbirds) in the garden right now, and they are making such a racket.  All kinds of squeaks and mechanical sounds.  If one didn't like birds, this would be the stuff of nightmares.  For me, a welcome sight and sound.  And a reminder that I'm just about due for another 50 pound bag of sunflower seeds...

Only a few more days of cold and then next week we are looking forward to some days in the low 60's - I can't wait!  Maybe this snow will finally melt...

Stay safe, be kind.  I'm considering dark chocolate with essence of orange today...

xo
Debbi