Northern cardinals are year-round residents in the northeast, and one of the species I often encounter both at home, and out in the field. Males are hard to miss with their bright red coloring, and the fact that they are often found with their mates lends them a sort of cheerful neighborly vibe. And while they are familiarized with humans and therefore are not especially skittish, I have long found it difficult to get a good photo of a cardinal.
Until this gentleman posed for me.
I was looking for warblers in one of my regular spots – the sort of spot that is good for all manner of birds, so there is an element of surprise, not knowing what you might find today. But I really wasn’t expecting a male cardinal, nor for him to take a perch on an exposed tree branch in perfect lighting.
When nature bestows a gift, we say “thank you” and then shoot fifty or one hundred frames! Which is precisely what I did, ending up with these three keepers.