Mr. Cardinal

I realized tonight when looking at this photo as a background on my laptop that I had never uploaded it or any photo at all for march 15th, so here it is! This is one of my favorite photos I've even taken. Check him out in super size!

This beautiful cardinal, which I would usually think of as a Northern bird, visits us here on the river on the suncoast of Florida quite a lot. At first I recognized his calls, remembering them from when I heard him sing when I lived in Connecticut. Then I saw him! A bright flash of red in the sky or perched in a neighboring oak tree. I have since filled some feeders with seed that he enjoys and soon got to witness an amazing behavior.

The female cardinal finally appeared one day and she stood on top of the pergola, near the feeders . . . she is all pretty and soft brown. But the male cardinal was the one who would fly to the feeder. He would get some seed, then fly back to the female and feed her - yes feed her! They looked as if they were kissing, beak to beak. You may already be familiar with this behavior but I was not! And so I watched in joyful amazement.

To love what you do and feel that it matters - how could anything be more fun?
~ Katharine Graham