Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Cardinals, January 27-28, 2015

Wild Bird Wednesday and ABC Wednesday
C is for Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis
Male Cardinal, December 25, 2014
Prentiss county, Mississippi, USA
Cardinals are frequently seen at bird feeders in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada.  They were named for the red robes worn by the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church.  They raise their crest feathers when alarmed or defending their territory and lower them when they feel safe and relaxed. 

Female Cardinal, December 25, 2014
Both males and females sing all year, not just in the breeding season as some birds do.  The female lays three or four pale green eggs, spotted with red-brown, in a deep nest concealed in a bushy thicket.  Incubation takes 12 to 13 days. Two or three broods may be raised each year.

Update from last week:
Male, Belted Kingfisher, January 21, 2015
If you remember last Wednesday's post about the female Belted Kingfisher (Here she is),  you will be interested to know that I spotted a male near where I saw her.  In this photo you can clearly see his "belt."  I do hope that they are a mated pair and will be able raise a family in the Spring.

Have a beautiful day!

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12 comments:

  1. You take super photos, and the cardinal has to be one of the most striking birds ever.

    Have a nice day.

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  2. Great photos - the cardinals are such pretty birds and I had not realized their coloring was so different.

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  3. Beautiful photos. I love seeing the cardinals in winter more than any time of year -- probably for the way they stand out against our snow.

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  4. How I love the colours..... I hope I get to see one in person some day...

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  5. The Cardinals are lovely and it will be great if the Kingfisher breed in your area.

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  6. The world of birds doesn't stop to amaze me. Your birds are so much more colourful than ours.
    Is it because of the climate.? Thanks for sharing, Lea.
    Wil, ABCW Team.

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  7. Hello Lea, pretty shots of the Cardinal and great sighting of the male Kingfisher.. Have a happy day!

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  8. Beautiful birds on this Tuesday morning!

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  9. I love the cardinals. I hope you'll see more of the kingfishers.

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  10. Wonderful photographs. I don't think I've ever seen a kingfisher and only once or twice a cardinal.

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  11. Wonderful cardinals & awesome male kingfisher~!

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  12. LOVE when I see a male cardinal. Such vivid color!

    ROG, ABCW

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