Cold and Hungry Cardinal

It has been bitterly cold here in Southern Ontario. No human would dare go outdoors without being bundled up and wearing multiple layers of clothing.

This is the first year, that we kept food out for the birds, (and squirrels), during the winter. With the wind blowing and the temperature feeling like -32C. I thought about how the birds cope with this extreme cold.

Seeing I got a new camera 2 days ago, I was taking pictures of everything and all the time. I had already taken pictures of the chickadees and the sparrows (squirrels). When my husband called me from downstairs and told me that "our" cardinal was out in the backyard, I ran down the stairs with camera in tow, hoping that I could get one good picture of our ruby red friend.

I was more than pleased with all the photo's I took, but this one, has got to be my most favourite.

Looking right at the camera and enjoying the seeds I had left out, touched me like no other picture has before.

I raved about all the pictures I had taken with my new camera to my husband and warned him about the negative aspect of having this camera could be for me. I always took pictures of "my" birds and backyard "friends", but now that I can get up this close to them, I feel that I know them better. I can look into their eyes. I notice the colour of their feathers, and the shape of their beak. I see their tiny claws clutching onto the branch of "my" tree. I feel that I am more connected to them. The negative thing about that is...I will worry more about them. I will miss them more when they are not around. I will probably be taking many more pictures of "my backyard" friends and viewing them constantly.

I am beginning to really understand about photography. It's more than just taking pictures. Every picture becomes a part of you.