BAD HAIR DAY

Today I was able to get a full profile of this female cardinal, complete with pinkish tail & wings and her very orange topknot. Her hairdresser must have made a drastic mistake! Her all-over coloring is unusual though – the other females are a darker tan and their crests are definitely red, so perhaps this bright orange crest belongs with the whiter body feathers. When she was very young and just starting to come to the feeder, the other cardinals chased her off like she was being ostracized. At least by now she is holding her own and is accepted like any other in the group.

It was a busy day and not many chances to take pictures – then what I did get wasn’t all that good, so I’m settling for another cardinal. The cardinals nearly always sit at the side of the feeder, facing out – this gives them a good vantage point to survey the area, but only provides me with a head & chest angle, so I was pleased to get a full side view of this gal. (Also I liked the glow of the sun coming through the leaves late in the day.)