The courtship is on

I was just now watching a beautiful female Cardinal. She was sitting on a curved branch of the smoke bush right outside the window. She was in that chubby pose, with her feathers all puffed out. It's breezy out, so her feathers were being swished and swayed around. She looked so lovely. Chickadees, Nuthatches, Titmouses and Goldfinches would flit around her, and she'd watch them with only the slightest of curiosity, occasionally turning her head this way or that. Then, a brilliantly red male Cardinal swooped over and landed next to her. He pushed his head forward at her, and then he opened his mouth toward her. She reached into his mouth with her beak and took his offering... he delivered a sunflower seed to her! Then he swooped away, and she sat there and ate her seed.

I have never seen anything like that happen between adult birds before. I told Kev about it, and he said, "the courtship is on... spring is in the air."

Too right.

This Red-winged Blackbird has been showing up at the feeder quite a bit lately.



I discovered he, or she, is the source of the birdsong I've been enjoying. I heard or read somewhere that Red-winged Blackbirds usually don't visit bird feeders. I'm glad this one does.

While I was trying to get a good photo of the blackbird, I got this photo with the Blue Jay... I love the pattern his feathers make on his back, he (or she) is such a beautiful bird.



Since this is my first post in a week, I have some news... Joycie and Mike returned from Florida, very happy. Also, I took my last dose of antibiotics, had a birthday (48th) and got my PICC line removed. I got to see 2 old Chinese men made of clay. Many goings on. Including working from home on 1st quarter close. Lots of stuff. So much so that I've had many early bedtimes, and no time left (or energy) to do blog posts. I will try to catch up with the news details sometime soon.