Lately, though, we’ve become popular with pairs of Black-capped Chickadees, Mourning Doves, Blue Jays, Downy Woodpeckers, Dark-eyed Juncos, Common Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Northern Cardinals, and the newly arrived American Robins.
The photo above – taken by my husband, Doug – shows the beautiful pair of Northern Cardinals who have captured my fancy.
I’m particularly partial to the colours of the female Cardinal: With her mixture of grey and buff hues highlighted by a stunning scarlet bill; hints of red on her wings, back, feet and crest; and black accents; she’s simply gorgeous!
The brilliantly coloured male – red, and proud of it – is supposed to be the stunner; but, to me, he doesn’t have the diversity of colour his adorable mate has. Still, she thinks he’s sensational, and that's what counts!
I’m most impressed with the bond of devotion continually evident between our Cardinals: Never being out of eye or ear shot from each other, taking turns eating while the other stands watch; sharing food, and preening each other. I suspect they’ll make amazing parents, too.
I’m sure that most of the other bird pairings have a similar commitment to their significant other; even so, it's been truly inspiring to see how devoted this bonded pair of Northern Cardinals are to each other!
